Like Father, Like Daughter
by Lil' Miss Mezzo
Summary: Two years have passed since Kaname and Mizuki left Cross Academy. Rido Kuran decides to make his appearance, threatening the pacifism created by Kaien Cross. Will they be able to protect Yuki or will the Hunter Society get in their way? Family Love sequel - DISCONTINUED.
1. Reunion

**Reunion**

The streets of Tokyo were filled with almost everything: man and woman, adult and child...

Human and vampire.

Hunter and prey.

Many remained unaware, oblivious to the real world around them. Only a selected few knew the truth, but then they themselves had to be outcasts of society. They had to take sides on a war that raged on since ancient times, seeking no end to the chaos and bloodshed.

One side, the hunters, were humans that trained since childhood to defeat creatures of the night and keep their existence a secret. From the shadows, they protect innocents and risk their lives every moment. Each of them were supplied with a lethal weapon specially designed to eradicate vampires, crafted at the very Hunter Society. Amazing strength and endurance are their assets, along with the lust of killing vampires either out of justice or revenge.

The other side, the vampires, have strict classifications that are relevant to kingdoms. At the very top ruling all vampires are the purebloods;immortal since birth, not a speck of human blood in their lineage. Next were the aristocrats, those with human lineage, but had powers lower than the purebloods'. The common vampires followed and then the former humans who were considered scum. They were cruelly mistreated until they lose their sanity and fall into Level E, acting upon instinct and mindlessly attacking humans.

In order to keep peace among the regular humans, the war is fought secretly unless one side begins to act rough. However, both sides recently became irritated and rowdy...

All because of two individuals...

* * *

Although they stood right in the middle of a busy crowd, not a single person grazed their skin or knocked them off balance. the humans were too intimidated by their beauty and sophistication to even approach them. Not to mention the frightening aura they gave. There was no national occasion, but their attire stood out from the crowd. Both of them stood prominently and elegantly, as if royalty was in their veins.

Countless voices rummaged through her head as she tried to sort them out. It was easier when her eyes were closed; her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Do you hear anything?" her cousin calmly asked.

She sighed with disappointment while slowly opening her eyes. "No."

What was the point of gaining a new ability if it wasn't gonna help her? It wasn't like she asked for it; one day, she suddenly hears voices only she can hear. It was later when they realized it was thoughts that people around her were thinking, being as clear as if they were speaking out. Perhaps it was just a gift suddenly developed rather an inheritance from ancestors.

Both Kaname and Headmaster thought about this. Maybe it was a branch off of her human traits. Since she was quiet and unsociable for most of her life, the new talent became a contradiction of her lifestyle. Once she gained this ability, Mizuki and Kaname both thought of putting it to good use.

"I can't tell if we're ahead or behind," she said. "We'll have to keep moving to find out."

Kaname nodded, and together, they started forward, still being unconsciously avoided by the humans. Although the Kurans appeared calm and collected, their minds were racing, frantically searching for any unwelcomed stalkers. It was bad enough their own kin was hungry for their throats, but now even the Hunter Society wanted their heads before they turned to dust.

_'Are you sure about leaving the Hunter Society?' _Kaname asked in his head. He knew Mizuki would read his question and waited to see her response. As her forehead creased, she looked up at him with small annoyance.

"I'm not going back," she explained. "I can't go back...they retracted the offer, remember?" Mizuki looked ahead and suddenly appeared worried. He could see that the choice was affecting her, but thought that it was something she had to resolve on her own.

* * *

_All arrows and guns were pointed at them the moment they stepped into the building. Mizuki expected this outcome, but it still irritated her that her former allies were now her enemies. But what worried her the most was Kaname's safety, since he was never affiliated with the Society to begin with. A three-barrelled gun was aimed at his left temple by an obnoxious hunter, but Kaname remained calm while asking a question in his head._

_Mizuki answered with a nod and looked at the hunters in the eyes._

_"We're not her to fight or shed blood." None of them relaxed, irritating her even further. "We just want to ask for help."_

_"You expect us to help **you**? When you are involved with the likes of him?"_

_She immediately toned down her irritation at the sound of her voice. It was just the person she wanted to see. Still elegant as ever, the president of the Hunter Society stood out just like Mizuki and Kaname in beauty and mystery._

_The hunters lowered their weapons, allowing the Kurans to relax, although it was unnoticed by regular humans._

_"Now..." The president looked at Mizuki skeptically. "Why have you come to us after two years?"_

_Mizuki kept it short and simple. "Rido's finally made his move. Yuki and Cross Academy are in danger. Kaname and I are on our way to stop him, but we can't do it alone, especially when we share the same blood."_

_Interestingly, she found it hard to hold hostility toward Rido Kuran, for she's been longing for family her whole life...and now she had to destroy her uncle._

_The president's attitude didn't change, but that didn't stop the former hunter._

_"He's getting stronger every day, and gathering more and more followers...even Level E vampires! All we ask for is a team of hunters to back us up."_

_Mizuki didn't expect what was coming next._

_rather than quietly thinking, the president chuckled innocently while concealing her face behind a paper fan. She obviously thought something was funny, which made Mizuki worry._

_"What makes you think we will help you now?" she asked, revealing a coy smile._

_Mizuki stared at her frustratingly as Kaname closed his eyes, disappointed. Feeling the coldest chill down her spine, she feared the worst. It should have been obvious when the hunters threatened to kill them the moment the Kurans stepped in._

_"Madam president..." The words barely came out in a whisper, but her voice quickly rose. "Two years ago...when Zero and I came, you said the Hunter Society will help me. That I will make the right choice!"_

_It was then that the president lost her temper. "You went too far with your choice!!" she shrieked as she closed up her fan and brought it down to her side, revealing the full expression of anger on her face. Her words struck Mizuki like a powerful whip, leaving scars that would be difficult to heal._

_"In order for you to survive, you had to accept your vampirism," she explained. "That was true. HOWEVER...it was still your choice to join Kuran and become one with the Senate."_

_Kaname opened his eyes, which glowed with crimson, and glared at the president. She stood her ground, unafraid of his anger._

_However, Mizuki just shook her head. "No...we abandoned the Senate! Ever since Kaname changed me into a pureblood, we've followed no one!"_

_"But you were willing to do so, were you not?!"_

_That caught her. No matter where they were, she couldn't deny that she was willing to follow the Senate, the government for the vampires, in order to be with Kaname. __Mizuki could feel the tears building up, but none of them spilled. Her last resort turned out to be useless._

_"Your ties with the Society are broken," the president reminded her. "You can't even call Toga Yagari your master anymore."_

_Unfortunately, that brought up memories Mizuki wanted to set aside for the moment. After revealing a light scowl, she composed herself and looked at the president pleadingly._

_"...Cross Academy may be in danger," she repeated from before. "Won't you at least try to protect it from Rido Kuran?"_

_The president sighed and gave a sympathetic look before shaking her head. "We will take action, but it is not to support you. Not only are the Senate and Rido Kuran our enemies, but you two as well." She turned her back on them, officially denouncing Mizuki's title as a vampire hunter._

_"The next time my men see you, your life will be on the line."_

_As she walked away, the hunters raised their weapons again and aimed then at the Kurans. Kaname eyed them curiously, but Mizuki stood speechless, staring after the president. She had no choice but to abandon her old life of a hunter, relying only on herself, Kaname and her friends at Cross Academy. Against someone as strong as Rido Kuran, they would have little chance of success._

_Unless...Kaname was able to set his plan into motion._

_Snapping Mizuki out of her thoughts, Kaname grabbed her elbow and lightly shook her. She looked up at him, seeing the concern on his face._

_'There's nothing more we can do,' he thought. 'The longer we stay here, the closer Rido gets to the academy."_

_Mizuki quickly got her mind back on track, taking a deep breath and nodding. They took one last look at the hunters surrounding them, and the only thing they could see was hostility._

_"Get out," one of them sneered._

_Kaname immediately laid a hand on the doorknob as Mizuki slowly turned back. Together, the Kurans walked out in a casual pace, still aware that the weapons were aimed over their still-beating hearts._

_Before they were too far, Mizuki decided to peek into their minds and discover their true thoughts. They weren't all that positive: everything she heard was either aout her and Kaname or vampires in general. A few of them even plotted ways to kill the cousins, ranging from random attacks to stealthy missions._

_'...That's not fair.'_

_Her feet came to an abrupt halt; surprise and wonder washed over her face at the thought. Was the owner of that thought referring to the Kurans? It was bizarre for a feeling like sympathy to immediately pop out of a crowd of rude remarks._

_Taking precaution, Mizuki slowly turned around and looked up at the main headquarters, scanning the premises for any visible human. It took a while to find him, but he was there. Up on the rooftop, watching curiously after the vampires, was a young man looked no older than Mizuki. He had snow white spiky hair with blue highlights at the tips. Cloaked in average hunter attire, he also had a lethal weapon by his side: a simple katana. But, considering it was provided by the Hunter Society, it was bound to be endowed with some kind of power._

_The look in his eyes was a meld of anger and curiosity, leaving Mizuki stumped about his true disposition. She hoped to dig deeper into his mind, realize his thoughts..._

_"Mizuki."_

_She instantly turned back to Kaname, and knew he w confused despite his passive appearance._

_'We need to hurry,' he urged in his mind. 'Rido needs to be stopped.'_

_Mizuki nodded and slowly began to follow him. As Kaname retreated into the empty district, she fought the sudden urge to look back at the hunter and understand his motives._

_'If he was gonna pity us...why is he a hunter?'_

She tugged on her long fingerless glove on her left arm. "This is frustrating," she murmured. "We need a lead."

* * *

Calmly, Kaname placed a hand on her shoulder. "Relax. Just concentrate on the thoughts that could point us **_somewhere._**"

After sighing frustratingly, Mizuki finally gave in and closed her eyes.

It was all a buzz at first, unable to make out anything. And then it was complete pandemonium. The moment she tugged on one mind, another one's thoughts got louder, getting in her way. She had to sift through all of them at once.

_'Moving in closer to Cross Academy,'_ she heard in a dark tone.

Her eyes snapped open and the thoughts disappeared. Mizuki turned her head around the place, remembering exactly where the thought came from. Not too far away was a small alley that was completely ignored, perfect for escape.

The moment she moved, Kaname followed so closely, it was like he knew where they were going. Neither of them even grazed the humans' skin; they passed through too gracefully for a regular person. Once they reached the alley, the Kurans immediately dropped the human pretense and went to full speed. Everything around them became a blur; wind lashed at their already-cold skin. Although their muscles continually retracted and stretched too many times in just one second, Mizuki and Kaname still had all their energy to use.

His eyes flitted to her. _'Hunters or vampires?' _Kaname asked.

Mizuki shook her head. "I can't tell." Her voice was soft, like she was talking to him if they weren't even running too fast for the human eye to catch. "The only clue was that they're heading toward the school...and not in a good way."

There was a low growl in Kaname's throat. If anything happened to the school while Yuki was there... There would be no way for him to control his anger.

They went into a deep crouch at the end of the alley before leaping high into the air and landing softly on the rooftops. Starting into another sprint, Mizuki kept her mind open, checking for the same voice of the earlier thought.

As they ran, it was all but silent, hearing nothing but the wind as they sped by. Together, Kaname and Mizuki became frustrated when nothing was found. Growling at their empty handedness, they changed their direction toward the school, restarting their previous trek. Mizuki almost closed her mind indefinitely to give it some rest after the deep concentration.

_'Got 'em.'_

Her feet skidded on the cobblestone rooftop they were on, and Kaname stopped a few feet ahead.

"Mizuki?" He spun around to face her. "What is it?"

Not answering immediately, her eyes flickered around, trying to find the thought again. Mizuki didn't want to risk opening her mind again, when everyone's thoughts would flood in simultaneously, breaking her concentration.

Instead, she relied on her superhuman instincts. She tried to hear every whisper of the wind, every drop of water. She tried to see every passing insect that flew by, every particle of dust. She sniffed the air for any kind of scent that seemed different.

She took one glance in Kaname's direction...and stared with shock.

"Get down!"

He instantly dropped down, crouching as low as he could into the cobblestone rooftop. As Kaname's leg stretched out and his head craned upward, a crazed figure with its claws stretched out soared over his form, launching itself at Mizuki.

She readied her stance; her eyes already began to glow a blood curling crimson. Slightly crouching, Mizuki waited for the figure to be close enough.

And then she did a backflip, stetching her legs out and ensnaring the ambusher by the neck as he flew by. Although she was performing a perfect handstand, all her strength was in her legs as she held him tight while finishing the flip. The mysterious figure wrestled and thrashed to release itself, but it had no avail.

Mizuki swung her legs forcefully, throwing the figure off the ledge and into the side of the next building, shattering two windows and a whole section of bricks. Glass shards and crumbling cement fell five stories down to the ground; they were lucky it was only an alleyway, where no human dared of trespassing in the middle of the night.

After completing her flip, Mizuki crouched on the very edge and glared down at the figure. It was still stuck in the indent of the building, but made no motive of moving when it revealed eyes as bright as hers. Both of their lips curled into sneers, revealing gleaming white fangs that ached to tear the other's flesh apart.

_'Fucking pureblood,'_ she heard him think. And that set her off.

With a growl escaping her teeth, Mizuki launched herself off the edge and shot at the vampire with incredible force. she clutched his shoulders and dug her nails in; with the blood pouring into her palms, it made her desire grow even more. Unfortunately, the vampire brought his legs in and sprung out of the indent, sending the both of them flying. He wrapped his claws around her wrists and wrenched her fingers out of his shoulders, locking her arms in place. In one swift movement, he moved both of her wrists in one hand, using his free one to grab her neck.

As the both of them plummeted to the ground, Mizuki noticed that she would be the first to hit the concrete; no doubt her opponent would be able to use her resisting force to get out unscathed. No way was she gonna let that happen.

Her legs were finally going to be put to use. When they reached the third story, Mizuki twisted her abdomen, wrapping her legs around the vampire and catching him off guard. With a twist of her abdomen again, she flung the him away, making him lose his grip and finally release her wrists. Both of them twirled in the air, both speeding down to the ground level. Mizuki curled up in a ball, using her even weight to set herself upright before landing. Once they were close enough, she stretched out her limbs and readied herself for the impact between her feet and the ground. The tips of her toes bounced lightly on the concrete, and she finally set herself upright on solid ground.

The vampire curled up in a ball himself and landed on a fire escape, glaring down at Mizuki again. He waited for a moment to strike, a chance to catch her off guard...

But bountiful bricks began to dig their way out of their building to their own accord. Dust and fragments of cement fell to the ground as multiple bricks surrounded Mizuki, protecting her from every angle. It confused the vampire why she would need protection until the bricks began to fling themselves in his direction, smacking him in his chest, face; they were even hitting him below the belt.

He backed away, hit after hit, going father down the fire escape. Once the vampire laid a hand on the railing, the railing itself curled and wrapped around his figure, ensnaring him in a cage as it dropped down to the ground.

From above Mizuki, Kaname dropped gracefully to the ground in front of her, holding his stance easily as he glanced behind him.

"You can do more than just read minds, you know," he poked. "Don't forget the powers in your blood."

Mizuki pouted. "Shut up. I was getting to that part."

At that moment, a dozen figures suddenly circled around them, blocking off any escape routes. Even up on the rooftops, five vampires looked down with red eyes that gleamed in the dark night. Some of them didn't have weapons, because they were already ferocious enough with their razor sharp teeth and nails like talons. One of them had a sphere created by artificial lightning in his palm, ready to throw it at the Kurans. Another had knives between each of his knuckles, holding them up to taunt the purebloods.

Mizuki and Kaname stood back to back, showing no sign of fear.

_'An ambush,' _Mizuki heard in Kaname's head.

She nodded. "And vampires, too. So that means..."

"It's a family reunion."

Both of their faces fell into complete shock. Neither of them could move a muscle. Not because of a power...but because of fear mixed with anger. They didn't know how to react to seeing someone so powerful and evil. Despite their preparation for a battle against him, Mizuki and Kaname didn't expect to meet him so soon. So suddenly.

From the end of the alley that Mizuki was facing, the vampires began to clear a path, but not for them. One lone figure slowly walked up from the shadows with hair as dark as Kaname's, but curlier. His stance was that of a gentleman, but all of them knew he was far from gentle and kind...very far. It was obvious he was a Kuran...except for the heterochromatic eyes he obtained. One of his eyes was a deep crimson while the other was blue: a trait that was easy to track whenever he used his special ability of transferring his soul into other bodies.

Although he smiled kindly to his stunned relatives, Mizuki and Kaname didn't share the same type of hospitality. The only thing that was running through their heads was who was going to die first. They couldn't formulate a plot, though, for they knew it would immediately die from failure.

"What?' the vampire suddenly asked. "No hugs?"

The idea of being familiar and warm with him instantly set them off. Mizuki and Kaname's irises glowed a deadly crimson red as Kaname turned to face him; growls were building up in their throats. They hoped their search and hunt would be over soon. Now was their chance. Mizuki couldn't help but glare infuriatingly.

"No fucking way would we greet you...Rido Kuran."

* * *

Yeah. Just trying to see how it is when I started up the story again. Review if ya like.


	2. Similarities

**Similarities**

Rido Kuran made a pouting face. "Aw, don't be like that. Is that honestly how you treat your loving uncle?"

A dangerous snarl ripped through Mizuki's throat as her eyes blazed with fury. The bright crimson glow in her eyes intimidated the other vampires, but not her own family. Of all the devious and viperous vampires in the world, they had to be related to this one. Another Kuran.

The name was a blessing and a curse.

Mizuki wanted to launch herself at Rido, but Kaname placed a hand on her shoulder, restraining the young pureblood. "Calm down, Mizuki," he urged before turning to their uncle. "Rido Kuran, I suggest you leave the town at once. It is not safe for you and your...subordinates to linger." He eyed the other vampires menacingly.

But Rido just laughed. "You really were a foolish child, weren't you?" He smirked at Kaname, ignoring the fact that his remarks were denunciations. "Your father was a fool. I was only grateful enough to end his miserable life, and help dear Juri be relieved of being his mate."

Kaname's face turned stone cold. It was agonizing for Mizuki hold back: her main target was just a few feet away, and yet she couldn't kill him. The whole point to their mission was to destroy him before he could get his hands on Yuki...but deep down, she knew that patience was to be had.

Rido put on a weak mask of sympathy. "Poor little princess," he said while turning toward the hill where Cross Academy stood. "What will happen once she realizes...her true past?" A devilish smirk made his lips curl. Mizuki and Kaname went into shock for one second before growling menacingly.

"You wouldn't," Kaname threatened.

But their uncle turned back to them. "Oh, I would. Just before she dies, I'm gonna show her the parents she forgot, the brother she dearly loved..." He closed his eyes and smiled joyfully. "I can't wait to see her face."

Before she knew it, Mizuki shrieked at such a high pitch no mortal could bear it. She couldn't hold herself back any longer; Kaname's grip was nothing as she charged straight at Rido with lightning speed. One of his subordinates jumped in between before she could strike, seeming to act as a shield. Mizuki didn't care; he was just a minute obstacle. Her hand stretched out like a claw toward the minion, sharp talons at the ready...

Yet for some reason, she never reached his face. The minion smirked as Mizuki's strike suddenly veered off to the side, laying not a finger on him nor Rido. She stopped in a crouched form not a few feet away from them before turning back and glaring with frustration.

"A barrier," Mizuki sneered.

Rido chuckled. "Ooh...you're good. It took me a very long time to find someone with this ability."

Mizuki and Kaname stared at him frustratingly. Did it mean that he was travelling around the world, looking for vampires with particular powers? And then the truth popped into Kaname's head.

_'He's been looking for an army of vampiric powers...to make an ultimate defense.'_

All at once, Mizuki snarled at her uncle's party. Her head was racing to formulate a plan, to break down through their defenses...but they were running out of time. _'We can't stay here for too long,'_she heard Kaname thought. _'He may have others going to the academy as we speak.'_

She didn't respond. Her eyes were completely fixated on Rido, who smirked as he knew what was happening. Invisible to the human eye, he waved his arm before him, a command that his subordinates recognized. They sprinted toward the cousins at full speed, their eyes full of blood lust and thirst. All that ran through their minds was the desire to actually taste the blood of a pureblood vampire. Wind lashed past them as they cornered Mizuki and Kaname, who didn't move an inch.

A woman with wild blond hair suddenly came up from behind the Kurans, baring her fangs and extending her claws, but it wasn't enough to bring them down. Together, Mizuki and Kaname leapt up in the air, dodging her attack by mere centimeters. Another henchman came and struck up from where they originally stood, extending his arm out toward them. Only this time...he had a weapon.

At first, it looked like a silver blade was protruding from his wrist out toward Mizuki and Kaname. With one final thrust, a complete dagger shot out of his arm and went into his hand, where he held it securely.

But Kaname glared angrily down at the vampire, and an unseen force slammed into the attacker. Without warning, he was thrown back down to the ground, forming a crater within the cement. His partners stared in horror for a second before looking back up to find the Kurans...

But they disappeared within the moment of incident, with only the moonlight shining in their wake.

"Damn them!" the blond vampire shrieked. In her fury, she kicked the vampire knocked down by the Kurans off the ground and into the brick wall, creating another dent with his body. He growled with annoyance.

Rido was the only vampire who stayed calm. "Find them," he ordered passively. "Bring them immediately to me. Cripple them if they resist." And then his lips curled into a lustful smile. His minions bowed before disappearing into the night, tracking the runaway purebloods. The one that was knocked down twice was the last to leave when Rido called for him.

"Disappoint me again...and you won't live long enough to beg for mercy."

After a shudder ran through his spine, the vampire agreed before following the minions toward Cross Academy. Rido watched after him, and then his mind drifted off into thoughts.

_'Kiyoshi...your daughter **will** meet the same fate as yours.'_

* * *

Only five blocks away from the school, Mizuki and Kaname finally slowed to a casual walk. Their heads continually jerked around, looking for any vampire that might have found them. Once everything was clear, Mizuki's mind eventually fell into turmoil, remembering her uncle's purpose in town as she slammed her arm into the building next to them, creating another dent with debris flying around.

"Fuck!! He found us!" She slid to the ground in shame. "We don't have enough time to warn Yuki and Zero. By then, he'll come to the academy...and take her."

Kaname looked down at her and crouched to her level. "Not if we make a full-out sprint now and worry about him later," he assured. "If we do, I have a chance to change--"

"Ssh!" Mizuki cut him off and placed a finger on his lips. She held her breath, her eyes on immediate alert for everything around her. The both of them became incredibly still and silent, using their senses to search for anything awry. Her other hand that was placed flat on the ground felt oncoming vibrations...footsteps that were approaching them from the adjacent side of the building. Kaname seemed to catch on.

_'Move on your signal?'_he asked in his head. Thanks to her new ability, he was never bothered to give equal leadership to Mizuki. They were partners, not leader and follower.

Mizuki acquiesced that and waited for the footsteps to come closer. Ideas ran through her head of how to ambush him: just a full-out blow and run? Or stay and make sure he stays down? The stranger's power was undetermined, and if it took too long, they were gonna lose to Rido.

Once she decided the stranger was close enough, she turned on the corner at the speed of light, eyes glowing like rubies. Fangs were already bared, gleaming with thirst, and the adjacent brick wall was already cracked with an ear-splitting sound all the way to the strange newcomer. The ground trembled with her strength alone; Kaname didn't have enough time to supplement her power with his own.

For once they saw who it was, he immediately backed off, his eyes returning to their regular maroon shade. His expression was calm rather than feral, and he looked curiously at him.

Mizuki took a longer time to relax since she was going to be the first wave of attack. As she eased up on her wild sneer, the pureblood's eyes darkened back to their original color. The dangerous power that was used to destory the wall subsided, yet the stranger didn't relax from his tense pose.

He glared at them with intensity as his right hand arched firmly above his sword's grip. The blue eyes held unwavering courage, and it looked like he wasn't going to give into the Kurans' state of shock.

"You..." Mizuki tried to put the pieces together, but she couldn't find a way to do so. "Why are you here? Did the Hunter Society send you?" she asked acidly.

The boy from the Hunter Society didn't relax. "I was given orders to scour the town for vampires." His tone of voice was so matter-of-factly, he was like some kind of robotic soldier. But then a smirk was upon his lips. "Lucky for me to find you here. We are enemies now, so prepare yourselves--"

"You're not the type to act upon orders."

Mizuki was confident in her rebuttal. She was positive that the thoughts she heard back at headquarters weren't deceitful, and that they came from this one teenager who seemed to be no younger than seventeen. The hunter looked at her with surprise and frustration, curious of how she knew of his thoughts. As she glared at him, Kaname took a step and stood by her side.

"You knew we were here, and you're not following the hunters' orders...so why did you come to us?" He had to take precaution, in case the boy was really aiming to deal damage toward the Kurans.

He set the questioning of their knowledge aside and slipped out of his pose. "Some of us were to set up a perimeter around the school, killing any vampire that approaches. We've alerted Kaien Cross, and in turn, he's informed the guardians at the school."

Mizuki's eye twitched at this new information. Already, Yuki and Zero were thrown into this mess. She had hoped to settle them into the mater more easier, but now that the Hunter Society has intervened...there was no chance for a peace of mind.

The hunter's tone turned dark suddenly. "But...I know that you know...that this common enemy we're facing cannot be stopped by only us hunters. I can tell by the way you plead for our assistance. No pureblood would have done so unless absolutely necessary."

Despite his occupation and duties, Mizuki became amazed to hear he actually reasons with vampires' notions. Was he more ambivalent than bias? Why would such a person become a hunter, unless he was like Zero, with hunting vampires in his nature?

"Hunters are surrounding the entire academy," he explained. "They'll disperse by nightfall and search through the town. Only a few of us are in the streets. If you truly want to protect the guardians at Cross Academy..you're gonna have to hide out for a while. At least until the break of dawn tomorrow." He looked earnestly into their eyes.

Kaname scrutinized him for a couple of seconds, determining whether or not he was to be trusted...but Mizuki just stood there baffled. She knew the heart of hunters, how their minds worked. They could easily deceive others with their experience, yet she believed every word this one spoke. It was unexplainable, but she decided it was right to put trust in him. As her eyes bore into his, she tried to look for any sign of equivocation. The boy was hard to decipher.

_'We should go with him.'_

Her fist clenched in response to his thought, begging for a reason. Kaname noticed the gesture, and figured it out. For the past two years, he was never one to easily aquiesce with strangers, especially with they were his enemies.

_'Rido won't be attacking the school anytime soon if the hunters are there. If this boy **is** leading us into a trap, we'll deal with the hunters. You've cut your ties, remember?'_

The painful memory sent her into a whirlwind of mixed emotions.

_'I apologize,'_Kaname amended. _'But this little confrontation right now is wasting time. We won't harm the hunters as much as possible, but there's no doubt we will run into them if we continue on. Let's at least wait until tomorrow, like this boy says.'_

"And him?" Mizuki quietly asked. Fortunately, the hunter wouldn't understand since the Society was never informed of her ability to read thoughts.

_'He stays with us until we get to Yuki and Kiryu.'_

Immediately, she began to like that plan. The more she interacts with him, the more she could learn, whether his help is true of just a lie to kill them. Giving in, Mizuki sighed and looked at the hunter.

"Fine. We'll keep low until daybreak...but you must come with us. Kaname and I need to know more about the hunters' plans."

The boy nodded. "The haven is close by. Only I know its location, and I'll run a close perimeter around it in case other hunters approach." He pointed to an edge of town, deserted of population. "It's also underground. It'll help keep you cloaked until tomorrow."

After they looked to the direction he pointed, the Kurans looked back at him. "Please, lead the way," Mizuki insisted in a calm and polite tone as she stretched out a hand in the same direction. With another nod, the boy stealthily walked toward the supposed haven, leaving the vampires to tail right behind him. Mizuki's eyes never left him as Kaname served as a lookout in the back, and on the way, she slowly but surely accepted his honesty. She felt her defenses break down little by little, but she reminded herself to remain on alert.

"What's your name?" she asked as they reached what looked like the halfway point. Abruptly stopping, the hunter looked back with confused eyes. Mizuki felt the same, but the expression on her face spelled random curiosity. As she patiently waited, he deliberated for a moment to look into her eyes before answering.

"Hayato."

Kaname stood right behind Mizuki as she looked at him perceptively.

"Hayato Kiramori."

Thinking quickly, she never thought he would give his name right away, not to mention his full name. Something must have happened in his past to make him trust vampires more easily than regular hunters. Just what prompted him to join the Hunter Society?

But with a gentle smirk, Mizuki continued on and walked past him. "Nice to meet you, Hayato," she greeted just as she passed him. "If the hunters find us before we reach the academy, I'll at least know the name of the one who betrayed us."

While she continued on the path indicated by Hayato, he whipped around and watched her advance ahead of him and Kaname. What was that just now: a gentle greeting...or a death threat? And then he remembered his lessons from the Society: never trust a vampire so easily.

After taking in a silent deep breath, he followed Mizuki and eventually overtook her to retake control of the reins.

But Kaname just stood in his spot for a little longer. As he watched Mizuki and Hayato walk ahead, worry and doubt began to accumulate in his head.

But more importantly...he wondered why Mizuki asked for his name when she could have just searched through his mind, something she could have easily done to save her breath and time. It wasn't like her to toy with the enemy so lightly, even if he was leading them to a hideout which could be fake.

_'Mizuki...'_ He knew she was too far away to hear, but there was a warning he had to get out.

_'Don't make the same mistake Kiyoshi made.'_


	3. Clarification

**Clarification**

Dark clouds began to ominously loom above the town as night overtook day. The wind picked up and rushed through the streets; parents began to collect their children and bring them inside, to secure them from the fabled monsters they tell to bring the kids into order. All the way from birth, the young ones received chills from just hearing the word, let alone imagine just what their appearances were. It brought fear, but it was nothing compared to the true terror that not even the adults were aware of.

* * *

They scurried in the alleyways, leaped above on rooftops, and even trudged through the murky sewers. Eyes searching everywhere relentlessly, fatigue never struck them down, and they continued on with their mission. However, many of them groaned with exasperation, for they came up with nothing but dead ends.

Some of them roamed through the streets and into the living prey, resisting the urge to kill someone in the center of a crowd. They picked up two distinct scents that floated around, steadily leading closer to a school atop a hill.

A group of frenzied vampires landed in a pile of dust resting in an alleyway in a section of the town. Just a few feet away was a collapsed fire escape, with pipes and screws scattered around. Their bright red eyes searched shrewdly as they tried to analyze the environment. This was no ordinary struggle, and no mere human could have done all this damage. A male vampire walked up and stuck his nose up, inhaling the scents around him deeply.

"...Purebloods," he breathed out. "VERY fresh scent..." But then he noticed something particular about the scent. Despite being so pure, it was also mouth watering and potent, coming from a rare bloodline.

_'...Master...?'_

There were very rare occasions when the vampire had met with the leader of the faction; he was told that the leader was a pureblood, one who lived up to the terrifying connotation of vampires. In the only instance he met Rido Kuran, which was the day he was bitten, he was told he would have power and riches so long as he helped bring the vampires to become the dominating race of the world. Ever since, the vampire obeyed any orders given, so long as he could reap the benefits. After searching a little longer yet still ending up empty handed, the group of vampires left the scene and continued on...toward Cross Academy.

* * *

As the sun finally began to drown in the horizon, they were finally able to move freely without the irritation of the ultraviolet rays. Their movements were swifter; the hunter and vampires needn't take precaution, and they were free to talk. However, it didn't mean their defenses were down.

Kaname's eyes never left the boy, who continued leading them toward the so-called hideout. Despite the refuge and assistance given, trust wasn't on the list. But what bothered him the most was how much Mizuki got involved, even with her defection from the Hunter Society. All he said was to allow him to shelter them, but for her to ask him of his name...

Meanwhile, Mizuki diligently followed Hayato, wondering just where the hideout was.

"How much farther?" she asked calmly.

He didn't look back at her. We're almost there. It's in darkness, almost devoid of sunlight."

Her eyes looked at his back keenly as she followed him. If he was truly betraying them, she and Kaname would be in trouble. She had to catch sight of trouble beforehand to avoid any struggle or complication. And yet, it was hard to find any deceit from this boy. She searched his mind thoroughly, looking in every nook and cranny...but all she heard were directions reminding himself of where the hideout was. Maybe it was because he had no true ties to her, unlike the other hunters that knew of her since birth.

They continued walking up a hill for the past hour without exchanging more than a few words. Hayato never looked back unless to respond. Perhaps he was worried they would see the trap in his eyes...?

But when they reached the top of the hill, suspicions reached their peak, for whatever was on the other side determined Hayato's worth. As he stopped at the very top, Mizuki and Kaname followed suit and stood next to him, looking down at the other side. All that was there was a deep crater, swallowed by hovering trees and clouds, unable to be found so easily. At the dead center, a decrepit shack was still standing, even though it looked to be decades old. Made of wood, the walls and ceilings were already rotting, and holes even broke through to invite wild birds in. The windows were long shattered; no glass surrounded the shack's exterior, meaning it was all inside.

Mizuki and Kaname continued to stare at it for a few more moments while Hayato began to descend down to it.

"It may look like trash," he explained. "But it has been abandoned by the Society for decades. They won't bother looking here."

Before complying, Kaname looked at the hunter perceptively. "Are you sure?"

Hayato nodded. "They only ever mentioned it when I first entered the Society, when they were listing all possible hideouts within the town's vicinity." He didn't look back at the two purebloods, still continuing down into the crater.

Hesitantly, Mizuki and Kaname looked at each other for the slightest of moment; she only moved if he gave the approval.

It wasn't long before Hayato noticed their immobility behind him. He looked back with eyes that urged for their trust. "I'm not gonna leave and call for back-up. If you want, you can search the place for any traps or secret paths; you'll find nothing. This place is only meant for a recovery spot, and that's all. No weapons, no communication devices, nothing."

_'...Let's go,' _Kaname told her silently in his mind. _'But be cautious.'_

She inclined her head in response before cracking her knuckles threateningly. The hunter didn't flinch or cringe, and they saw just how well-trained he was. However, Mizuki was on full-alert; ever since she obtained her second power, none of her and Kaname's prey had been able to escape. Her mind was always open, checking everyone surrounding her for the tiniest hint of a deceit.

Just before she followed the hunter down into the crater, she noticed the sun finally beginning to set below the horizon. Any moment now, the hunters would be allowed to freely move through the town without any disruption of civilians. Mizuki and Kaname quickly followed Hayato to the shack...and waited for the break of dawn.

* * *

The moon slowly descended into the horizon, and total darkness enveloped the town. Critters have yet to come out of their sanctuaries, for some predators still lurked about, hoping o catch some easy prey with their preceptive eyes.

He held the blade at the ready, prepared for any strategical assault. Although alone, confidence was with him, no matter what numbers he could be going against. He turned his head to the surrounding forest, hoping to catch the slightest change in his view. On the other side of the shack, the trees continued to stretch far; no one would be able to come to the hideout unless they traveled many miles for at least a week. His thumb itched to flick the guard up just in time to retaliate, but nothing came at him or the quiet shack, where the two vampires concealed themselves.

Or at least...one of them.

"I didn't bring you here so you could leave yourself as a target out in the open," he said without turning around. His "common" sense knew exactly who it was, and his attitude toward her was different compared to the treatment he gives to her cousin.

Mizuki didn't slip out of her emotionless and blank expression. She stopped in her tracks after he spoke, and didn't move for a few moments.

"Why haven't you ambushed us yet?" Her tone was blunt, but her reason for asking was serious; she wasn't going to let him get away without an explanation. "Sure you don't think it's right for the Hunter Society to deter us...but what is it exactly that compels you to help Kaname and I?"

She heard a smirk in his voice. "What, you actually _want_ me to try and kill you two? If you want--"

"Answer my question," Mizuki ordered. "Don't change the subject."

Hayato sighed; he still didn't look back at her as he thought of an explanation to give. Truth be told, part of him was questioning his own actions, still clinging onto the rules and laws of the vampire hunters. But there was a part of him that knew the reason of his motives, the drive that took him down this path.

"...I believe in Headmaster Cross' pacifism."

At that moment, her eyes widened at the discovery. She felt her jaw beginning to drop, but made sure to keep it clamped tight. Never before did she meet a hunter who believed in Kaien Cross' idea of vampires and humans coexisting in one world. She herself thought it was futile; after converting into a pureblood, however, her eyes opened to so many aspects and alrenate routes of life, many of which could have brought the two different worlds together. Mizuki and Kaname strived to make the headmaster's wish come true, but so much pessimism and doubt floated around them. It was rare for her to find a supporter, especially in a fledgling.

"We all live in the same world...so shouldn't we have a right to exist? Cross Academy should be blessed, not abhorred." His eyes rolled to the edge of their sockets. "Do you not think so?"

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually came to an answer. "Yes...But even so, there are vampires who will do nothing but feed on humans. Kaname and I are trying to stop them all, starting with Rido."

Hayato turned around to look at her curiously. "Rido?" No one in the Society ever mentioned a name such as that.

"...A pureblood who is gathering followers to overthrow the Hunter Society. If he succeeds, then humanity is destined to extinction. The Hunter Society decided to deal with this "matter" on their own, without the help of vampires, Kaname and I in particular."

Although some pieces were laid out, he was still confused of some things. "So then...if the Society is trying to handle it themselves, why are you two also trying to kill him?"

A dark expression masked her face; just thinking of the reason angered her. Mizuki had to try and hide the truth behind their mission, for if it happened to leak out unnecessarily, it would only bring Rido closer to Cross Academy.

"He's threatening to ruin the academy. Kaname and I won't just stand by and destroy Headmaster Cross' pacifism. Of course, you know that."

But the look in his eyes told her otherwise. Mizuki wasn't surprised that the Hunter Society was keeping secrets from its subordinates, due to its own plans of movement without involving others.

"Forget it," she told him with a sigh. "It'll be better if you don't get involved."

Hayato's expression then changed into curiosity again. "And why is that?"

Her eyes looked gravely into his, almost regretting to tell him. For a moment, he waited to brace himself for Mizuki's words, but he knew it was to be expected once he got involved with their affairs.

"There are only two options if you do," she told him darkly. "One of them is a simple death, although it wouldn't be so simple. You will probably be tortured, unable to bear the pain before you completely die. Being able to rest after such misery...that would be a reprieve from the other option." Thinking about it for a moment, it wasn't that bad; the Society had prepared him for any fate that came his way. He was already prepared for the second path.

"...And the other one?"

She gave the darkest look he had ever seen, as if she was about to speak of a sin. "The other option...is to be bitten by a pureblood, whether intentionally or accidentally, and go through the most horrendous transformations possible. The piercing fangs penetrating your skin will be the least of your worries. Your neck will feel like it's burning; your veins will heat up dramatically, and it will feel like there's not enough oxygen in the world to inhale. Muscles will spasmodically twist to adjust to your new strength, and it happens all around your body. Every passing second, you think you'll die, but it still goes on...and the suffering doesn't stop until it's complete. In the end, you either die of blood loss...or become a creature of the night, constantly lusting for blood wherever you go, feeding on anything necessary to quench your thirst."

No part of her wanted to go any further; she pressed her lips together to seal the rest of her words. Describing it was far too hard.

Hayato stared at her with a distant look in his eyes, his mind wandering in thoughts. All this time, he couldn't think of any type of altruism to give to the vampires, but for them to endure that kind of pain...

After moments of silence, Mizuki noticed a red haze coming just above the horizon. She released a sigh before turning back to the haven.

"Kaname and I are depending on you to watch for the hunters. If you betray us..."

Her eyes looked at him, and his looked back. Hayato knew the rest of her threat and waited for the end...but more silence passed, and no threat was completed. Mizuki noticed this as well, her mind was racing for a conclusion, but she could find none to throw against him. Wonder filled his head as to why she cut it short; peurbloods were described to be merciless when it came to survival.

On the opposite side, Mizuki herself wondered why her threat wasn't finished. She had nearly thrown away her allegiance with the Hunter Society; no sense of sympathy should come from her to the organization that turned its back on her. For some reason, she just couldn't imagine torturing this boy, of all people.

She quickly turned her head away and continued on back to the haven, leaving Hayato in her wake. Once she reached the door, she vowed that never in her life would she allow the hunter to see her face in such fluster and confusion as it was at that moment.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaname's eyes watched her diligently in the shadows of the rotting shack, peering out and eavesdropping into their entire conversation. As Mizuki began to return, his eyes never left the boy, who watched her leave his side with wonder. Kaname's fist slowly curled into a tight fist, and the glass before him sitting on the window pane began to vibrate. It was a bit too late to notice his powers seeping through his control, and once he found an opportunity to relax, there was a fissure in the window, ripping the distance between Mizuki and the boy in half in his perspective. Immediately, he retreated into the shadows.

* * *

Just as she was about to approach the door of the shack, the tiniest high-pitched screech sounded in the air. In an instant, Mizuki stopped in her tracks, taken by surprise at the sound in such an environment around her. As thoughts raced through her head, she deliberated before concluding that it came from some kind of glass in the area. It could have only been heard by inhuman ears, which made her turn her head toward the closest possible source of glass: the window of the shack. At the end of a long protruding shard was a crooked crack that somehow aimed in her direction...

Curiosity got to her: why did it crack of all times, long after the building itself had been abandoned? Had Kaname noticed?

And then she realized Hayato was under suspicion somewhere deep within her mind. Looking over her shoulder, she eyed the hunter furtively, checking to see if anything was out of the ordinary...but all he did was continue to watch the parameter of anything awry. He didn't seem to notice her moment of paranoia.

_'...That must be it,' _she thought before sighing. _'Must be getting paranoid.'_

For some reason, she couldn't think of suspecting him, especially after all he had done to help her and Kaname. The tiniest smile cracked upon her lips as she thought of how ironic it was for hunter and vampire to work side-by-side. Perhaps the future had a chance of coexistence after all...

As the sun continued to rise above the horizon, Mizuki walked up to the door of the shack and pushed open the ancient wood. Glancing to the side, she saw Kaname sound asleep leaning up against a part of the wall concealed in the shadows. It made her relieved that he was able to relax in this place after holding Hayato with suffocating uncertainty. After what happened at headquarters, she thought he wouldn't be able to trust hunters again.

Finding a dark corner, she nestled herself to rest and waited for the sun to fall again...

Unaware of her cousin's sagacious watch over her from a distance.


	4. Distractions

**Distractions**

The sun stood just above the land in the sky, and Mizuki and Kaname finally poked their heads out from the shack. They lingered longer than usual, with Mizuki scanning the are for any alien thoughts.

"Well?" Kaname asked after a few seconds.

She was still searching the vicinity, but only silence was heard. Although all was still, they couldn't exactly trust her power alone. Many plans had already ran through their heads to avoid and ambush: some of them included the hunter just outside. But what if he joined the other side at the last second...?

Mizuki knew she wouldn't have time to retaliate from shock.

_'All's clear.'_

Like a paranoid human, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stick out, her posture tense, and her eyes shot out of the open window was no movement...only one sense of presence outside.

And then she realized who it was.

"Kiramori," Mizuki breathed out.

Kaname looked at her with a confused expression. _'Is he still out there?'_

Her creased eyebrows didn't answer his question well. She continued to stare out through the window, but all she could see was the dark shadows created by the hovering trees. Was he really there...?

_'No one came by last night. It's safe.'_

After she breathed out a hesitant sigh of relief, Mizuki somehow resolved that everything was all trusting Hayato wasn't complete yet, and the only way for it to possibly be that way was to give it to him little by little. She slowly pushed the door open, and a few streaks of light hit upon them, but nothing fatal. Like the previous day, the trees and natural environment encased them in a shield from the sun's rays. falcons called in the distance, the wind blew softly against their skin, and Hayato stood about ten feet away from them and the shack. Instinctively, his hand was holding up the sword at his waist, ready to draw the blade at the first signal, but the vampires knew he meant no harm to them.

Kaname stepped out of the shack before Mizuki, keeping his eyes on Hayato. "Any trouble in the night?"

Calmly, Hayato shook his head. "None whatsoever."

Kaname just nodded. Without a word to either Mizuki or the hunter, he began heading in the direction of the school, keeping a regular pace. Mizuki tried to listen for instructions, but none came from her cousin, which baffled her ever so slightly.

It didn't take her too long to return her attention to Hayato; both of them started walking toward each other, as if their feet were acting on their own.

"Good morning," he greeted out of the blue, which sort of startled her...

But she didn't want to wane in manners. "Hello. Was there really no trouble?"

"No...not really." Remembering his duty, Hayato quickly glanced at the trees surrounding them. No signs of an ambush could be seen, and his hand slowly lowered the blade. "They won't think of searching around this time. If we stay in the forest by sunset, you two will be fine."

She thought about that for a moment, a time that made her expression change from wonder to concern. "...Will you...return to the Society once Kaname and I reach Cross Academy?"

Immediately, her eyes darted to his gaze, waiting or the answer. Hayato's expression was ephemerally one of thought before changing to confidence. Out of the blue, he nodded his head with assurance.

"I'll go back to report. All of the hunters do. If you didn't turn up on anyone's radar, our top priority will be Rido Kuran."

The news had no effect on her mood. At the moment, Rido Kuran was on the top of all the lists; it was no surprise to his own family. Instead, Mizuki was more interested in Hayato's affairs. "And your report will be...?"

After silence lingered for a few moments, he breathed out a sigh that made her heart pound irregularly. His eyes wandered around, and Mizuki wondered if he was hesitating on purpose. What would his answer be?

"...A failed mission," he said quietly before pulling his lips into a tight scowl. When she couldn't feel herself move for a few seconds, Hayato's eyes looked up into hers. She saw nothing that reminded her of betrayal, or equivocation...only loyalty.

"Like I said last night: I believe in Headmaster Cross' pacifism. It would be cruel for me to turn in the ones that are helping him."

Mizuki's eyes drifted as she thought. Perhaps he could prove himself to be a valuable ally: if he stayed longer with them, she and Kaname can gain access to the Society's plans, and hopefully stop them before they wreak any havoc.

"...Thank you...Kiramori."

She looked at him with sincere eyes, and he felt himself believe in that sincerity. Who knew the day he would be working with vampires, and purebloods no less? He just gave a small smile before it disappeared altogether.

"It'll be sunset by the time we reach the end of the forest. After that, it's just a few blocks to Cross Academy." He walked ahead after Kaname, and Mizuki just stood to watch for a few moments...as she finally began to test her own loyalty. He may be skilled in hiding it, but she could see Kaname's concern of having a third wheel, especially from the Hunter Society. Although she knew how much danger this could inflict on them, she couldn't bring herself to deny such help. After being left to fend for themselves by the president, Mizuki felt her defenses drop, and it allowed her to accept someone such as Hayato.

_'...As long as he can get us to the academy on time,' _she convinced herself. Gaining confidence in her answer, Mizuki finally trekked forward and followed Hayato and Kaname toward Cross Academy.

* * *

He sighed as he looked out the window toward the town, frustration clouding his mind. Despite the headmaster's constant warnings, he took a big whiff of his cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke.

"Well? How is she?"

Headmaster Cross leaned against his desk and thought of what to say. It wasn't easy to tell him of all people how the situation was at the moment. One wrong word could send him storming through the halls in bursting through her room with a gun, and that wouldn't settle well with the students especially during class hours.

However, he couldn't keep it quiet for long. "It's been getting worse. Ever since she became curious of her past, things have been...slipping through. She probably has a vague idea of the truth, but she's doubting it."

Unable to control it any longer, Toga Yagari clenched his fist tightly, searching for a way to vent his anger. "It's your fault, you know. You just had to keep a promise to that woman...that pureblood." No matter what kind of cause was behind the act, Yagari couldn't forgive the headmaster for associating with a vampire, especially when he was a hunter himself at the time.

Headmaster Cross pushed his glasses up the brim of his nose. "It was payment or her saving me. Not all vampires are as monstrous as you say," he shot back at Yagari.

In response, the hunter only scoffed. "Whatever..." He turned around and began pacing himself in front of the headmaster's desk. "What about Zero? Is he too becoming a hermit?"

Looking at him disapprovingly, the headmaster disliked how he can refer to his student in such a way. "It's only to take care of her. Whenever she's alone...things can get dangerous."

Yagari shook his head. "And when the monster within her begins to grow, so does her powers." Chuckling darkly, he glared at the headmaster for his incompetence. "Well...what do we do now?"

The headmaster sighed with frustration. What to do, indeed? Now that the Night Class disappeared from the academy, he only has access to the vampire world through Yagari and Zero, who refuse to interact with the species too much.

His only hope was that those two could feel her calling...and come running for her aid.

* * *

As twilight overtook the sunset, Mizuki could finally see the lights from the town, and eventually the academy. It was closer than the day before, and all the students would be reporting to their dorms by now, meaning they would be clear of the dangers waiting in the darkness.

Looking over at her old school, a feeling of nostalgia swept over her, and many of her memories as a dhampire came back. She remembered the first time she laid eyes upon Kaname, and the wild meaningless anger she held for him. Because of her parents' deaths, all of her childhood memories were of training with Master Yagari and seeking revenge against the Kuran family. Deep down, however, all she was longing for was a family to belong to, and was grateful that Kaname felt the same way.

Now it was time to help the family be reborn.

"Two years," Mizuki breathed out. "Yuki and Zero are third years by now...They must have changed."

"Not so much," Kaname amended as he walked up to her side. Interested, Mizuki looked up at him. "Kiryu's a full-fledged vampire by now, so he won't age like a human anymore. Yuki..."

Her gaze became worrying when he didn't finish. When he revealed to her the truth just about a year ago, when she found him, Kaname was already searching for a solution; despite their soon combined efforts, there was nothing that could stop their power-hungry uncle from waking out of his slumber and gathering his men.

Unable to control herself, Mizuki glared at the ground with fry and clenched her hand until it shook. "...We have to hurry."

Kaname nodded. He then turned his attention to the hunter, who stood not too far away. "Shall we get going?" he called out to him. In truth, he didn't really want to try and exchange words with him, but they had to have some type of communication in order to work together.

Hayato looked over at the Kurans and nodded. Whatever the situation, he seemed to be very loyal and determined...making it very easy for him to hide his emotions. Kaname reminded himself to keep a close eye on him, for one overlook could send both him and Mizuki to the Society with their lives on the line.

Together, the three of them descended down the hill and back into the town, easily blending into the wandering crowds. Hayato stayed in the leading front, apparently searching for stray hunters while Mizuki and Kaname kept their eyes on him as well as the academy. They made sure to stay close enough so they wouldn't get separated...or lose him before he could run off.

Mizuki made sure to stay focused, but Kaname finally decided to open up his mind.

_'We should do it right when we arrive,' _he suddenly told her. It surprised Mizuki, but she continued to keep her eyes on Hayato. _'If we stall when we're at the academy, it could grow worse for her.'_

She pulled her eyebrows together in worry. "What if it's already at that point?" she asked under her breath. Looking over, it seemed like Hayato didn't catch her words, and she sighed with relief. As Mizuki continued to walk, her ears yearned to hear Kaname's answer...but none came. She waited for a few more moments...

It shouldn't take this long for Kaname to respond.

Pulling her eyes away from Hayato for the briefest moment, she saw her cousin's eyes investigating the scene around them. She thought about it for a moment, and soon enough, she felt it too. Her own eyes looked around..for there was an unwanted presence looming close by. Almost too close, to be exact. It was moving swiftly and silently, hoping not to be detected long enough to make its strike.

Mizuki quickly reverted her eyes back to Hayato, and saw that he was still walking in front, appearing oblivious. However, when she shifted her eyes down, the young pureblood could see his hand wrapped tightly around his sword, his position ready to make a strike at the right moment.

_'Does he know, too?'_

Mizuki lightly nodded.

They remained on high alert until they reached the deserting road leading up to the academy, and their pacing slowed to a crawl. Mizuki and Kaname kept their distance behind Hayato as their eyes continued to search around. As the silence prolonged, her hands clenched and unclenched, tensing for any moment of change; she looked over at Hayato, who stood absolutely still...

Until she noticed something. As Mizuki focused on the hunter, she sensed the deadly aura around him, stealthy and covert...

Similar to the aura she felt surrounding them as a group.

"Hunters," she whispered.

Out of the blue, about twenty or more figures sprung from their caches in the blink of an eye, surrounding the three of them with bloodthirsty weapons. Mizuki and Kaname instantly moved back to back, watching the horde circle them like prey. Easy to arouse, she already began to bare her fangs, the excitement gleaming in her eyes. A low growl began to stir in her throat, but only her cousin and possibly their guide could hear it. On the other hand, Kaname stood calm and poised, also ready to move at the right moment.

Even Hayato stood at the ready, crouched into his pose and hand upon the sword's grip. It surprised Mizuki how he would retaliate against his own affiliation, but could care less about the extra pair of hands on their side. As she glared at the circling enemies, she could see one of them smirk cunningly.

"...Well done, Kiramori."

Mizuki shuddered as her pose and strength weakened; Kaname stiffened at the comment...and the truth lit up in his head. A scowl scrunched up his face as he bared his own fangs, and he suddenly turned into a fearsome animal.

_'He's betrayed us,'_he thought menacingly. At first, Mizuki found it hard to accept, but the truth was already lying right in front of her. _'He purposely made us wait overnight...so that **they** could group up and prepare to strike.'_

Despite her denial, the pieces already began to fall in her head. Mizuki remembered all the moments she interacted with Hayato, every word they exchanged...and labeled them together with one word:

Lies.

Another infuriated growl erupted from her chest, but this time, she turned her head and looked over at the one who was supposedly on their side. Her eyes burned with rage as she saw Hayato turn back and look at her with the face that deceived her.

"You..."

The look of guilt appeared like a spark on his face, and it proved to her that it was true. As she looked at him with disgust, she felt a twisting pain in her gut, torturing her for ever trusting him. Mizuki chided herself for giving in to his fake assistance, and ultimately burdening Kaname. Breathing heavily, she couldn't bear the humiliation anymore, and her hands were shaped like sharp claws, eager to tear into the deceiver's flesh...

The one that spoke earlier stepped up, showing himself as the ringleader. "Your 'mission' ends here," he sneered, and then motioned his head toward the Kurans. "Get them." In response, the rest of the hunters gripped their weapons tighter and sauntered forward with dark intent in their eyes...hoping to end the pureblood line once and for all.

She never thought she would get caught up in this situation. Together with Kaname, Mizuki always managed to escape the Society's grasp in every encounter, but they had never had a mutual ally, either.

_'Damn you, Kiramori...'_

Just as she was about to get lost in her thoughts, she noticed one of the hunters in front of her poising his arm up next to his face. She shifted her gaze toward toward his hand, and saw three kunai knives between his fingers; no doubt they've been blessed to severely harm vampires, and he designated her as his primary target.

Mizuki crouched her body, ready to respond to any kind of attack he was about to throw at her. With their eyes locked together, she depended on Kaname to cover her back...that is, if he wasn't busy with his own personal battle like her. A growl erupted from frustration; her palms already began to sweat, and she wondered if they would ever begin their combat and finish it in time to reach the academy. The hunt could see the irritation, and wished to push it farther; the more frustrated a someone can be, the less focus they can become.

And that was his aim.

Her mind was too strained with the recent events. What if Rido Kuran took their battle for granted and sneaks into the academy? If he advances even an inch farther than Mizuki and Kaname, they wouldn't have a slight chance to even delay him.

The sudden change of topic appeared on her face, and the hunter took notice of it. Instantly, he gripped the knives tightly before launching them in Mizuki's direction with full force. Kaname was able to hear the passing wind, and his eyes darted to his cousin.

_'Mizuki!!'_

Hearing his voice brought her out of her private thoughts, and her eyes snapped up to see the approaching blades that were ready to prove fatal against her being. First came the shock; she couldn't believe she even allowed the hunter to release the knives from his fingers. Quickly following was anger: like with Hayato, Mizuki blamed herself for not being attentive enough to foresee the attack.

And then came the panic, although it didn't appear on her face. She couldn't dodge the knives in time, that much she could see. Even if she had a chance to move in time, she wouldn't be able to help Kaname avoid the knives and their magicks. As hope quickly receded in her mind, Mizuki's legs became frozen in place, refusing to help her in a dire situation.

_'Shit.'_ Now that she was locked in place, all she could do was watch her impending doom. She couldn't believe it was all ending in a place like this; no one could help her as the knives came closer...

Until a blurred figure rushed up in front of her and produced a high pitched sound. As her eyes tried to make out it appearance, something gleamed in front of her and clashed with all three knives simultaneously. A strong wind flew into Mizuki's face, but she didn't react in any way to it; her eyes were fixated on the form before her, and her eyebrows slowly pulled together in confusion. Somewhere in her mind, denial tried to convince her to throw away the truth, but she couldn't ignore the proof right in her face.

_'No way...it's not possible...'_

Hayato's sword was lowered as the knives clattered to the ground from the interception. The air was still, and no one could budge an inch while trying to escape to muddling confusion. His icy glare shot into the other hunters' eyes, revealing his true nature and intent, even if it was deceiving to his own affiliation.

"Kiramori!!" The ringleader's bellow echoed around them, fury and rage spewing out like an infection. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

In response, he only whipped his sword to change him into a different stance as he still glared menacingly. From behind, Mizuki stared with bewilderment as all kinds of possibilities ran through her head...which were zero. Didn't Hayato just lead them into a trap? He was their enemy this whole time...wasn't he?

_'The boy...'_There was the tone of surprise in Kaname's thoughts as well. _'He was really on our side?'_

She left him to find the answer on his own, for she was wondering herself about the truth. The anger and doubt disappeared from within her; all that was left in Mizuki was curiosity: exactly where did Hayato's loyalties lie? As it turned over and over in her head, she also tried to figure out what kind of man he was, to be able to fool both sides of the dispute.

_'Run.'_

At the command, Mizuki's eyebrows lifted in amazement. She couldn't tear her eyes off of Hayato as she thought of his growth in their bizarre "partnership"; they only spent two days together, and he already managed to utilize her special power to their benefit.

_'I'll handle them,'_ he continued. _'Use this moment of confusion and get to the academy. Hurry!'_

Although Mizuki still questioned his motives, she knew he was right: she and Kaname had to get to the school using whatever means possible. Breathing deeply through her nostrils, she quickly crouched low and sprung out of the hunter circle and their trap. Kaname hesitated just for the slightest moment before mimicking her moves and following her in the air. Together, they leaped about twenty feet high before landing gently on their feet behind some of the hunters, facing Cross Academy.

Without saying a word, Mizuki darted to the school at full speed, refusing to look back under any circumstances. She knew Kaname would follow right on her heel, and hopefully none of the hunters would. Her trust in Hayato was not complete, but she heard in his thoughts that he would certainly do his best to hold back as many hunters as he could.

Within seconds, she and Kaname ran side by side, and she could feel his perceiving gaze on her.

_'...Do you understand anything?'_

Mizuki knew what he meant, and all she could do was shake her head. Kaname turned his head back to the school.

_'We can't trust anyone else,'_ he reminded her. _'...Toga Yagari is no exception.'_

The name ran a knife through her chest: even her old master was her enemy, who was the top hunter in Japan. What if they ran into each other at the academy? Would either side be willing to make the first strike?

Now that she considered it, Mizuki began to question her arrival at the school. She could either continue on and fight with her master...or stay behind and allow Rido Kuran to massacre the students. A lose-lose situation. It seemed like hope was lost, and nothing could save Yuki from the unspeakable fate that awaited her.

_'Dammit.'_Mizuki gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as her feet continued drawing her closer to Cross Academy: the place where everything began.

* * *

The corridors were only illuminated by the moonlight, and that itself was still insufficient for vision. But for vampires, however, any kind of assistance was unnecessary in their type of domain. Mizuki was lucky in remembering her work as a guardian two years ago, or else she wouldn't be able to find the special window that had no working lock in the far back of the school.

"I guess they never fixed this for a purpose," Mizuki commented under her breath. "They must have known we would come back someday." She slowly pushed the window open, allowing the cool breeze to pass through the halls silently. Before going any further, she poked her head in and looked left to right, in hopes that none of the Day Class students were up and about. Only the third years would be able to remember, however, since she only came to school here for a few months in the first year.

Still, it would be hard to explain their sneaking in to underclassmen...

Mizuki nimbly swung her legs in and leaped to the middle of the hallway, her boots making a sound louder than she wanted, but still soft enough to remain unnoticed. Kaname followed her in, closing the window quietly behind him. As she looked over their shoulder, their eyes connected, and a feeling of relief washed over them: they overcame one part of their mission.

Now one of the hardest parts was about to start.

She turned back around and sighed. "So do we go straight to Yuki...or see Headmaster Cross first? Shouldn't we check the situation before doing anything drastic?"

Kaname considered that for a moment...and nodded. "You may be right...but if we wait too long--"

"Yuki may lose it," Mizuki finished.

"Let's make our way to Cross...and we'll see what happens in our path."

She nodded and kept her mind open for any nearby thoughts as they began their trek through the halls. As their eyes darted back and forth to find any sign of movement, Mizuki couldn't deny the strong nostalgia the school gave her; the familiar scent filled her nostrils as she inhaled deeply. Even more memories of her first year flowed back to her head, more quickly this time: her alliance with Zero, the loyalty she showed to the disciplinary committee and Headmaster Cross, the chagrin that eventually dissolved with the Night Class... Everything reminded her of the time when she changed into a full pureblood with Kaname's help, and part of her wished that everyone would be gathered like before.

She began to feel desensitized, but Kaname made sure to keep her in check, just in case.

_'Hear anything?' _he told her.

Mizuki blinked twice right before getting back to duty. Listening carefully, all there was nearby was silence. "No," she said quietly. "Come on; we should hurry before--"

Her words were instantly cut off as the sound of heavy footsteps came toward them at a fast pace. As the both of them stiffened, their eyes darted toward the nearest intersecting hallway...until a figure appeared like a flash before them.

Although they already knew it was her, Mizuki and Kaname found it hard to believe she would ever take on such a form. In her regular nightgown, she was crouched like an evoked animal, her limbs at the ready to react upon any circumstances. There were minor bruises on her arms and legs, and considering her feral state, they could have been from her tireless struggles. She was inhaling deep ragged breaths to help suffice for all the energy spent on running from wherever she came from, and it made them wonder exactly what she was running from. At first, Mizuki could not believe the sight before her, for she never thought her condition would be so unstable.

"Yuki?!"

The frantic wild eyes shot toward Mizuki and Kaname, but a part of them seemed too far away from the reality they were in. As the harsh whimpers escaped her trembling lips, Yuki's edgy hands shakily made their way to her face, trying to cover her eyes from the unseen terror.

Mizuki wanted to quickly run up and help, but there was something about Yuki's presence that made her feet freeze in place, as if forcefully holding her back. Even though they are feet apart, she could feel some strange aura emitting from the beastly girl, a power that has the nearing potential to surpass her own strength. No matter how hard her mind commanded, she couldn't find a way to budge a single millimeter. In frustration, she looked up at Kaname, and saw that he just couldn't move as well...

But it was that he didn't **_want_**to move. All he did was stand perfectly still, poised to react as his eyes were fixated on Yuki.

"Kaname," Mizuki growled fiercely. "Come on! What are you doing?"

He ignored her silent rage as he continued to stare at Yuki...and he saw some understanding in her eyes. As he remained calm, his eyes almost appeared mesmerizing, as if beckoning to Yuki. Her own eyes remained feral and wild, and she breathed in shallow gasps at an irregular pace. She couldn't take the strong gaze when the name suddenly popped up in her frantic mind.

"K...Kaname..."

Mizuki turned back to Yuki in shock, her eyes widening. "Yuki..." As the pieces fell into place, she finally understood why Kaname didn't immediately take action upon Yuki's appearance. She shuddered before tilting her head back to her cousin with a painful expression across her face. "It's this bad?" she whispered with an unwilling tone.

Hesitating, Kaname grimaced. "...Yes."

She felt numb for a moment, and all her hope seemed to drain away. Although it was spring, Mizuki couldn't help but feel cold. All this time, she was clinging onto the wish that Yuki's condition would be mild...but she took Kaname's stress on the matter too lightly. She assumed that it wouldn't be so bad since it was suppressed for so long, but it was only bottled up, growing with every passing day until it was unleashed.

_'I'm a fool,'_Mizuki scolded herself.

Just as she felt like blaming herself for almost everything, sepia shoes darted across the floor in the hallway Yuki came from. Before Mizuki looked up, a tall figure at about the same height as Kaname made its presence. It seemed out of breath, but it was eventually cut off altogether once he saw the Kurans.

She heard a small gasp, and a very familiar scent wafted the air.

His blood.

"...Mizuki..."

The tired voice brought back more memories, some more painful than others. Her eyes shifted to the newcomer behind Yuki...and saw the same lavender eyes from two years ago. He still had the same silver hair, and in his Day Class uniform, it seemed like time didn't pass at all for him.

She was unable to move her lips at first, but her voice ached to find a way out. "Zero..." Taking the pain in her chest into consideration, Mizuki guessed that was how it felt like to see a best friend after such a long time.

They only saw each other for the slightest second before Yuki instantly darted in the other direction and toward the main entrance. Zero stumbled before spinning around to watch her flee. "Yuki!!"

Mizuki snapped out of her trance in time to realize that she ran away.

_'Hurry,'_she heard Kaname urge. Mizuki hastily nodded in response. Together, they darted after Yuki as fast as they could, passing Zero like the chilling wind.

"Come on!" Mizuki yelled over her shoulder. Zero collected himself and ran a split second later, coming close behind Mizuki and Kaname's heels.

Yuki's sprint was basically manic. She had no destination in mind as her eyes darted at the passing doors and hallways, and only ran where her feet took her. Unlike her patrolling as a guardian, there were no coherent thoughts in her head; instead, there was just instinct that told her to run from Kaname, the one person she held affections for since that night in the snow...

As they gave chase, Mizuki and Kaname noticed how Yuki didn't seem to tire herself out...and it made them begin to worry. Mizuki growled with irritation. "Her strength's enhanced," she observed. "If she showed signs of her powers..." The sentence was left unfinished, and they were left to dread for the worst.

* * *

Yuki shot her arms out to swing the front doors wide open, and once she pushed, the wooden doors almost came off their hinges when they banged into the school walls. The cold night air swept into the halls, bathing her as she sprinted out into the dark. The light from the Sun Dorm barely helped in illuminating her path, but there was something about her vision that helped her see, and it was far more advanced than regular human eyesight. Although barefoot, Yuki ran at full speed through the courtyard, hoping to reach the school's gates and leave for the town.

But the others weren't going to comply with that.

Mizuki and Kaname shot out of the doors right after her, and Zero quickly followed. As they ran, there was doubt in the back of their heads that they would actually catch Yuki on time...if they didn't already plan ahead.

_'Now!'_

On Kaname's signal, the both of them stopped in their tracks, skidding to a stop as Zero ran past them and continuing on toward Yuki. For the shortest second, the guardian looked over his shoulder with confusion, wondering if the vampires were out of their minds.

But within that second, he saw their maroon eyes glow and morph into a bright red shade. The two pairs of eyes stood out like light in the darkness, and it only meant one thing to Zero. Their eyebrows were pulled together, an action that sent massive waves of unseen energy in the guardians' direction.

When Zero turned his head back around, he felt an awesome power slam into his backside and rush through his entire being. There was a brief moment when he couldn't breathe, his lungs frozen for a fleeting time, but there were also sharp pains around his body, and he couldn't help but stumble as he ran. While he lost balance, there was a deafening thud in his ears, and it felt like his whole body lurched forward from the wave.

Once he was able to look forward, he saw Yuki apparently unharmed by the sudden attack he felt from behind. She just continued to sprint as far as she could from the three of them...too immersed in her goal to notice the trembling ground beneath her feet.

As the path toward the town came closer and clearer to her eyes, a large stone wall erupted from the ground before her, spraying dust and pebbles all around. Yuki's feet skidded to a stop, her mind growing even more frantic at the obstacle in her path. Desperately, she whipped her head from side to side, trying to find another means of escape that could take her away from her three pursuers. Looking over at the forest just mere feet away on her left, she decided to push her luck as she sprinted toward them...

But another wall suddenly emerged from below and intercepted her new path. Instead of stopping where she stood, Yuki ran up and banged her delicate fist on the stone, hoping to somehow break through...but it was all in her mind. As she continued to try and knock it down, the frenzied guardian whined with frustration. Her breathing was quicker, almost to hyperventilation, as she refused to accept her capture in their trap.

Her last hope was the exit on the right, which led to the Sun Dorms for the Day Class students. Not too long ago, Yuki warned herself to not endanger her own classmates...but that warning no longer applied to her feral mind. Without hesitation, she used the rest of her strength to dash across the small space she was herded into and ran in the direction of the dorms.

At last, she truly believed she could escape and be free of those three chasers for good...but it was all futile when the third and final palisade soared up from the ground before she could even start her run. It left no crevice for her to squeeze through, and no holes for her to use to climb.

Yuki was trapped.

She whimpered like a helpless captive, bringing her hands back up to her face in horror. As she stared up at the high walls, Zero found it as an opportunity to run up and finally help her.

"Yuki!!"

As she heard his voice growing louder along with his footsteps, Yuki knew it was all over. She could no longer run from Zero and the school. She couldn't run from Mizuki and Kaname anymore.

And she couldn't run from the continuous nightmares.

An agonizing shriek ran past her throat and out of her mouth as she directed her face up to the sky. Yuki collapsed to her knees in hopeless defeat, and the sight pierced through Mizuki's heart.

"Go," she heard Kaname say beside her. "I'll make sure she doesn't try to run away first."

Mizuki nodded and relaxed the strong energy inside her before running after Zero. As he knelt down next to Yuki, he carefully placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to pull her up, almost too forcefully as she refused to help their situation. She continued to hang her head and whimper with fright, even when Mizuki approached the two of them with silent movement.

_'What the hell? Just what exactly is going on??'_

It took Mizuki a moment to realize it was Zero's thoughts she was hearing, and she looked over at him with surprise. Two years had been a long time, for she finally felt refreshed just by standing close to Yuki and Zero, despite their conditions. Her heart began to ache for the times they shared as guardians together, but she reminded herself to stay on task.

Slowly, Mizuki crouched down to their level and tried to look at her old friend.

"Yuki..."

Somehow, the voice had revived a part of her, and the guardian shakily brought her head up from her hands. The frightened eyes seemed to calm down as they appeared to truly catch sight on Mizuki in front of her. She quietly gasped, asking herself if her eyes were deceiving her.

"...M-Mizuki..." The feral tone of her voice also seemed to dissipate, but it didn't mean it was gone. "...Mizuki, you're...!!"

Mizuki managed to pull a convincing smile, even though everything wasn't all happiness and sunshine. She wanted her friend to feel secure and safe, although that was a difficult task in itself. "Yeah," she replied softly. "It's me. Kaname's here, too." She jabbed a thumb over her finger.

Slowly, Yuki's eyes looked past Mizuki and saw the figure standing feet away from them. His eyes still glowed a bright crimson, but she was able to recognize him immediately albeit his change in appearance. she never thought he would dress in a manner for combat and hunting.

"Kaname..."

Once he heard his name, Kaname knew everything was all right and allowed his defenses to fall. The walls of stone rumbled and dug themselves back into the earth, smoothing over the surface as if they never erupted in the first place. Once his eyes reverted back to their maroon shade, he followed Mizuki's footsteps and stood right behind her. "Yuki..."

As they looked into each other's eyes, Yuki couldn't help but feel somewhat mesmerized, and before she knew it, fatigue struck her body tremendously, causing her to sway in Zero's hold. Her eyes rolled back into her head, which fell on Zero's shoulder before she was knocked out cold.

"Yuki??" Zero tried to move, but Kaname's hands were already reaching out for the sleeping girl in his arms. Like before, Zero looked at Kaname with distress and caution; the move was almost instinctively, for there was a part of him that still couldn't trust vampires completely.

Nevertheless, he allowed the pureblood to carefully scoop Yuki into his arms and carry her bridal style. Her head rested on Kaname's shoulder gently, and consciousness was already too far away from her. "I'll take her to her room," he told the other two. "We'll meet in Headmaster's Cross' office. We have _much_ to talk about."

Mizuki's eye twitch at the last comment, for she knew what he was referring to. Scowling to herself, she turned her face away as Zero watched Kaname turn around and head back into the school. There was still too much he did not understand...

But he knew Mizuki trusted him thus far, and he in turn should give some confidence as well. Zero looked back at Mizuki, and saw that she was lost in her own thoughts.

"Mizuki."

Like always, she was able to snap out of her thoughts and return the gaze, and felt relieved to see her friend's face again; comfort crept upon her, like she returned to a home she left for too long.

Now that everything had calmed down, formal greetings were at order...but how were they supposed to start? After all, she had turned into the very thing he despised, at her own will, no less. Would he hold a grudging alliance with her for the time being, until the matter with Rido Kuran was taken care of? Not to mention their old master was seeking to spill her blood as well...

But for the moment, Zero only felt glad that she returned, ready to help Yuki at such desperate times. With a sigh, he got up to his feet and held out a hand for Mizuki. "Welcome back," he said in a sarcastic tone. Mizuki thought if it was sincere or not...but passed it off. She smiled as she looked at his offered hand.

"Nice to see you, too...Zero."

Looking up to see his expression out of the corner of her eye, she didn't reveal how glad she felt seeing Zero's lips pull up into a smirk. Mizuki inwardly sighed at the sight, and her own grin turned a little brighter as she took his hand with a firm grip.

They started off pretty well, according to her.


	5. Burden

**Burden**

As he carefully laid Yuki's head down on the pillow, he couldn't help but make the smallest wince at every sound of worry and pain she emitted from her lips. She was far too different from the confident bubbly girl he knew from two years ago, who would regard him so lovingly from the day they first met. Seeing her running away from him like that just a few minutes ago...

Her time was almost up.

____

'If I wait too long, who knows what will happen to her sanity?'

But if he had completed his mission at that moment, without a sure vision of the future, Mizuki would definitely want his head on a platter, let alone Zero. Mizuki fought the most for Yuki's humanity, endlessly arguing against Kaname for another way to keep her safe.

However...could she run away from the truth for so long? The longer they kept Yuki trapped in her state, the more damage there was to come in the nearby future. Soon, she would be impossible to restrain, and her mind would be all but lost.

Kaname's hand gently stroked her soft brown hair, hoping that it would soothe her nerves. His eyes surveyed her room with just one sweep...and his eyebrows furrowed.

He never thought Yuki would leave such disarray. Materials were scattered everywhere; the curtains from her windowsill were torn to shreds. Long scratches stretched down the walls, and Kaname could catch the scent of blood on them. She had thrown countless tantrums, and no matter how much Zero and Headmaster Cross picked up after her, she would repeat them again in an endless cycle.

He couldn't just watch her fall into darkness forever...

Would she be willing to accept his decision?

* * *

"You've changed."

She didn't want to appear phased by his comment, but Mizuki had difficulty controlling her expression. They very fact that she chose this life had scars in Zero's trust in her, and she deemed it lucky that he didn't aim his Bloody Rose gun at her the moment they saw each other in the hallway.

"...Things happen when your friend's life is in danger," she replied, attempting to steer their conversation back to the subject at hand.

Zero looked over at her with worried eyes as they headed toward the Headmaster's office in the dark halls. "I thought you'd be aware of Yuki's condition," he accused, but Mizuki didn't appear to have any slip of the tongue. "Have you been on this case for the past two years?"

Solemnly, Mizuki shook her head. "No. It took a while to find Kaname...He was on this ever since he left the academy."

"He was?"

She didn't fail to hear the chold tone behind his question. No matter what Kaname's intentions were, Zero never seemed to ease up to the pureblood. Mizuki knew she couldn't blame him, but it felt unbearable to see a friend bare his fangs against a family member.

"Yeah."

"So what have you two been doing all this time?" he quizzed almost immediately.

Since their return, she had wished Zero wouldn't ask the dreadful question. She couldn't lie to him, but the truth was far from what she wanted. He didn't become vigilant she and Kaname appeared, so she could have a possible chance...

Mizuki kept her composure and finally answered. "A request from the Hunters Society. They contacted me shortly after I found Kaname, and we went to work on it immediately. Our target was high on their list, but couldn't get to him due to inefficient manpower-"

"Wait." Zero stopped in his tracks and reached out for Mizuki's arm to stop her as well. He stared off before him as he tried fitting unclear pieces together, with Mizuki seeing that he was almost close to solving it. "That's impossible. I remember the Society was still willing to back you up, but there's no way they'd even let Kuran in on anything."

She couldn't deny that fact. It felt like she was backing up into a corner, with Zero blocking off any chance of escape until he heard the truth. Should he know of her recent spat with the president, he'd see himself as an enemy of Mizuki and Kaname. As a loyal hunter since childhood, it was futile to think he would grant her clemency, let alone her cousin.

Zero noticed her eyes avoiding his gaze, and he knew he was on to something. "Mizuki...?"

Slowly, Mizuki looked up at him with desperate eyes, hoping he would listen instead of rashly butting heads with a vampire.

But she knew it was inevitable.

"MIII~~~~~ZUKI~~~~!"

She was able to snap out of it at the last moment, instantly shifting to the side as a tall figure fell face forward between her and Zero. Together, the two of them only watched blankly as the man before them writhed in pain, holding his whole face in his hands. Despite his whimpering cries, Mizuki didn't reveal any sympathy on her countenance - only faux disappointment.

"It's good to see you too, Headmaster," she greeted whimsically. Headmaster Cross peeked between his fingers, stopping the irritating cries in an instant. Wary of her first greeting, he breathed a sigh of relief upon the crooked smile Mizuki aimed at him.

He wasted no time and got to his feet, fixing his glasses. "Miss Kamiya, welcome back. I assume Kaname is here, as well?"

"Yeah," she replied, the slightest bit of reluctance in her voice for Zero's sake. "He's with Yuki at the moment, but he'll be coming by very soon."

His eyes changed as he read the meaning behind Mizuki's words, confirming that his worst fears have indeed surfaced. They shifted to Zero, cautious of his involvement in the matter. It was risky, but it also couldn't be avoided. As the years passed, Kaien Cross saw the bond between Yuki and Zero unbelievably grow; it was impossible to simply keep him out of the loop.

His acceptance of the truth, however, was a different matter.

"Very well. Then let's head on over to my office. We have much to discuss."

Mizuki already began heading in the direction of his office, and Zero soon followed. His mind was filled with too many questions that were left unanswered, and the discreet tension he felt between Mizuki and the headmaster only filled it up even more.

'They know what's wrong with Yuki...but why doesn't it seem like they're helping her?'

Once they entered his office one by one, Mizuki already began circling before the headmaster's desk with angst. She looked as if she was concocting a plan in her head while being a lookout; every few seconds, she looked out the large window behind the desk, as if searching for something...or someone.

Her silent paranoia failed to go unnoticed, and Zero could barely take his eyes off of her, suspicious of her agenda despite their close relationship. He remained standing in the middle of the room as Headmaster Cross took his seat at his desk. The moment he did so, Mizuki stopped pacing and leaned forward on his desk, crouching to his level and whispering with urgency.

"Have there been any attacks recently?"

The question raised an alarm in Zero, who was about to lurch toward them, but the headmaster's immediate and calm response baffled him too much to go on.

"No. Not directly at the school, at least. If there were, the Hunter Society took care of them from afar."

Mizuki huffed out a sigh of relief, turning her body to the side, but still facing the headmaster. She placed a hand on his desk, her fingers calmly perched atop the mahogany wood. "How long has she been like this?"

Solemnly, the headmaster looked down in shame. Mizuki coldly sneered at this gesture, and her nails screeched along the desktop before curling into her fist.

Astonished at the scene before him, Zero struggled in finding what to say. Attacks? Hunter Society? It was clear something was happening outside the walls of the academy, but he was too caught up in Yuki's situation to even notice.

"Since last month," the headmaster answered. "And...she's been getting worse."

Zero heard Mizuki growl in frustration, and it began to dawn on him.

For two years, neither he nor Yuki had heard from Mizuki since that incident with the Moon Dorm, and now she appears with Kaname? Coincidentally, it happened to be around the same time Yuki began growing aggravated, seeing hallucinations and screaming in the middle of the night. Her explanation earlier about that 'mission' from the Hunter Society was impossible to happen: Kaname would never be a part of it, no matter how strongly bonded he is to Mizuki.

This wasn't a coincidence.

He trudged up to Mizuki and grabbed her arm before spinning her to face him. Glaring into her dark maroon eyes, Zero saw the exacerbation and degree of the situation...and he's been kept out of it.

"What's going on?" he asked through his teeth, as if part of him didn't want to know. "Why is Yuki like this? What's happening to her?"

Her mouth twisted into a grimace, refusing to spill the truth. When she averted his gaze, Zero vigorously shook her arm, restless for a response. "Mizuki!"

She shoved his arms away and glared up at him, frustration creeping upon her. "This has nothing to do with you!" she spat.

The recoil made Zero take a step back and internally cringe at her words___. 'Nothing to do with me...?'_ How much had he wished that this wasn't the case? He didn't want to feel so helpless that he would have to be excluded; Yuki was am much a part of his life as Kaname was to hers, and Zero felt so out of place just thinking that he can't do anything to save her.

Looking back at Mizuki, he saw the absolute power in her eyes. It was clear she wanted him out of this mess - not for the sake of protecting him, but for making sure everything went according to plan.

He was nothing to her.

"Mizuki."

All three of them turned their heads toward the door, finding Kaname leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. His eyes coolly looked over at Mizuki, holding an admonishing glare that sent her scowling from retribution.

"You know very well that Kiryu is involved," he corrected while walking toward the group at Headmaster Cross' desk. "He has a right to know."

"But he shouldn't!" she argued, her voice becoming more pleading to her cousin. "His part in this could very well ruin everything." Her glare failed to deter him, and Mizuki hung her head with defeat.

Zero looked back and forth between them, sensing the tension that hung in the air and almost corrode him. Although it almost looked like Kaname was supporting his involvement, none of it helped his clarity at all.

In an attempt to settle it once and for all, he trudged up to Kaname, holding up the usual cold demeanor he projected toward the pureblood. Kaname gave it no mind and accepted Zero's hostility...knowing that he had a key role in saving Yuki.

"What's happening to Yuki?" Exasperation was clear in Zero's voice, pushing the Kurans further to spill everything. Kaname quickly glanced toward Mizuki, who caught his eyes in time to give one last silent plea. She felt that Zero shouldn't know the dire situation, regardless of his stance in the matter. She was strong enough to allow Yuki to be led to her fate, but she never imagined her friend and fellow partner being pulled on strings as well.

He opened his lips for a few moments before allowing words to pass through, and Mizuki braced herself.

"She's remembering her past," he replied bluntly, careless of the effect his words had on Zero. "Her past as a vampire."

Mizuki warily looked back at Zero, her lip quivering as she checked what damage these cursed news brought upon him. At first, she thought of sympathizing with him, trying to help him understand their ulterior motives.

Her plans, had to change, however, when Zero's hand shot toward the Bloody Rose gun strapped to his vest.

"Zero, no!"

* * *

Without looking back, Hayato sprinted toward the walls of Cross Academy, his mace in hand. He was able to finally lose sight of the hunters, and they inevitably lost track of him, but that didn't stop him from running at full speed.

In just one attempt, he leaped high in the air, and his arms reached out for the tall ledge to grab it with ease. He hoisted himself up, careful not to make any loud sounds before perching his body at the with one leg swinging on the exterior part of the wall. His eyes quickly searched the path he took for anyone who could have caught up with him, but all was silent except for the nightly critters.

Hayato breathed a sigh of relief, but it was far too early to relax just yet. Soon, all of Hunter Society will be in pursuit of him and the Kurans.

____

'How did things end up like this?'

No one would be on his side...except for one.

As a child, Hayato was left to fend for himself on the streets with no family or friend to turn to. He was accepted into a few families before eventually deciding to go on his own when he reached the age of ten. Alone in the ferocious world, he gained the skills necessary to survive - tactics, strength, agility, and more until he became completely independent at the tender age of thirteen.

When he encountered his first vampires, that was when he appeared.

Although Hayato never needed a teacher to help hone his skills, there was always one man helping him become a better hunter. In no time at all, that man assisted him in ascending through the ranks to become a valuable asset to the Society.

____

'But I'm still no better than him...the top ranked hunter out there.'

Hayato always admired his trainer, and even though he spoke of abhorring the vampires, he couldn't hide his sympathy for some of them. He would have allowed Hayato to help them, even if they were purebloods. And perhaps it was that sympathy rubbing off on his trainee that made him go through with his betrayal.

_'They're not evil,'_ he deduced as as he dropped into the school's courtyard. Hayato quietly made his way across and headed toward the main school building. _'At least...Mizuki Kuran isn't.'_

* * *

She expected to protect Kaname from the venomous bullet that would have come out of the muzzle, but the next thing she noticed was devastating to her heart.

Despite the separation, she knew that Zero and Yuki would potentially welcome her back as a friend. Mizuki believed she didn't deserve it, but they were too kind to rashly turn their backs on her just because of a change in species. They shared a friendship that she would always cherish, and she hoped it would remain as strong as it was two years ago.

So why wasn't there an ounce of regret in Zero's eyes? Why didn't he quiver the moment Mizuki stepped into the path of the Bloody Rose, with her forehead at gunpoint? His mouth was still turned into a snarl, and his glare was now fixated on Mizuki, who stood between his gun and Kaname's heart. For all she knew, the only things holding him back from pulling the trigger were the headmaster's arms locking Zero's in a vice grip.

Mizuki felt Kaname's body remain still as she tightly gripped onto his arms behind her. He had expected this from the beginning, and it didn't change his decision to callously reveal everything to Zero, even when it meant endangering his life.

_'He had to know,'_ he reminded Mizuki. It only tightened her grip, reminding him of the storm brewing within her regarding the situation.

"Say it again," Zero snarled through is teeth. "You fucking pureblood!"

"Zero!" Headmaster finally spoke up. "It's the truth...she was born a vampire - a pureblood. However, her vampire self was suppressed when she was young. Remember how she lost her memories? They were memories of when she was a vampire."

It was clear on Zero's face that his words were barely acceptable. It was ridiculous in his mind...but the fact that it was plausible was excruciating. There was still much about the vampire world he did not know, and if he had known sooner, he could have avoided this frustration.

But that wasn't all he needed to do.

Mizuki tried to reason with him, but the fear of the bullet was difficult to stop. "Zero...she's a Kuran, the last descendant of the line. But now..."

Hesitant, she observed his hard face, keeping her from going on. She could see that it was enough for one night...

_'Mizuki.'_

She turned her head to the side, acknowledging her awareness of his thoughts.

_'Tell him about Rido,' _Kaname urged. _'He needs to know at least this much for now.' _Mizuki pressed her lips together, but he insisted._ 'Tell him. He won't listen to me...but you have a chance.'_

Curling her hand into a fist, she tried to resist the temptation to open her lips. _'He can't know...he SHOULDN'T know...!'_

"Mizuki," she heard in front of her. Her hand stopped squeezing just before the nails dug into her palm. Zero's voice no longer sounded fierce, but still distressed at the unraveled events. "What's going on?"

She closed her eyes for the shortest second...and finally turned to him before opening them again. The coldest glare emanated from her eyes, making Zero shudder. At his reaction, Mizuki gave a crooked smirk.

"You really wanna know?" she dared. Kaname closed his eyes in disappointment at her tone, while Headmaster Cross watched Zero brace himself for the truth. Her words came out so carelessly that Zero had to think twice if they would be true or not.

"Her uncle, Rido Kuran, is on his way here...to kill her for her power."

His fingers went cold, dropping his handgun to the floor within seconds. Just seeing them calmly explain it to him was unbelievable; attempting to bring hismefl back to reality, he feverishly shook his head. Zero's lavender eyes raced everywhere, trying to make sense of everything around him.

"No," he whispered to himself. Zero looked back to Mizuki, and her fixed scowl didn't help him deny her words.

"We're here to stop him," she continued. "But we can't do this while leaving her as a vulnerable human. She has to change - she _needs_ to change."

"But, of course, we won't force her," Kaname interjected as he finally strode past Mizuki. She eyed him warily as he approached Zero with a calm look in his eyes. "I'll do my best to insist the transformation...but nothing will be done against her will."

In response, Zero shot another chilling glare. Those words meant nothing if Yuki still had unconditional devotion to Kaname; she would give up humanity in a second if it meant being like him. Would she still care for him so much after disappearing for two years?

Headmaster Cross finally stepped between the hunter and vampires, pressing hands on Zero and Kaname's chests to force them back. "That's enough for one night," he decided. "Zero will need to look after Yuki while she rests, and you two will have to patrol in case Rido's men are lurking around."

Kaname and Mizuki easily accepted his request with nods before turning toward the she turned, however, Mizuki failed to ignore Zero's eyes on her back, which were filled with a deep fusion of anguish and rage. They begged her to find another solution - a path that didn't have to turn them against each other. For the shortest second, her eyes flickered at the turmoil emitting from his heart before she continued to follow Kaname.

"Was that true?" he shot out of the blue to stop her dead in her tracks. Headmaster and Kaname watched her absorb his words, and she failed to respond. Zero expected as much, but he wasn't done.

"Do you really want me out of this fight? Do you see me as a burden?"

When she turned around, Mizuki's hands tightened into fists, and her fangs were bared venomously. The way he saw it, she looked upon his question with irritation, seeing any way of involving him as, like he said, a burden.

"Having you in all this..." she spat through her teeth. "May be the very difference between victory and defeat."

Her words made sense...but Zero ground his teeth for the truth in them. Not only did they not explicitly answer his question, they left him continuing to wonder exactly how Mizuki saw his participation in the inevitably bloodshed. Would he help them gain the upper hand and defeat Rido Kuran...or will he be the key to Mizuki and Kaname's downfall, leading to Yuki's death?

Once she vehemently turned back around and headed toward Kaname, Zero felt the pang of regret twisting in his side. Looking back, his actions certainly had a bit of brashness in them. He couldn't charge headfirst into unchartered territory; the new information alone left him breathless, thinking of exactly what he should do to assuage the situation.

He watched Mizuki leave the room in a hurry, calmly followed by Kaname, and soon he was left alone with the headmaster, who released a sigh of exhaustion.

"I'm sorry about all this, Kiryu," he said while scratching his head. "I hoped none of this would happen at all. There was a chance, you know, of Yuki never being able to remember her past." As Headmaster Cross turned to head back to his desk, Zero only stood in place, organizing the night's events in his already unclear mind.

"But now, there's no going back." He sat down in his chair before looking up at Zero, who refused to break free of his statue-like stance. "You can be with us or against us. I won't make the choice for you...but just so you know..."

The headmaster hesitated in finishing his sentence and warily watched Zero for a reaction.

"That woman will also be on her way...here."

* * *

Walking toward the school's main courtyard, Mizuki took the lead, taking quick strides ahead of her cousin. He steadily kept his pace, but his eyes never left her back. The usual pace she was taking was normal...but there was still an air of dread surrounding her, trailing after her wherever she walked.

"Mizuki."

It wasn't like him to speak out loud when he could have just used his thoughts to communicate with her. As Mizuki stopped in her tracks, however, she felt that stern, authoritative tone from before in the headmaster's office. Kaname wanted her to hear him out, rather than just passing his words off as gibberish running through his head. She couldn't simply ignore him; he was the leader in their team, and his influence overpowered her enormously. Although she didn't like him easily breaking down her walls, she would feel free and relaxed shortly afterward.

"What is it," Kaname?" she asked with a hard edge in her voice.

His words were clear and blunt, practically unconcerned about Mizuki's feelings on the matter. "You can't protect him this way. Kiryu will be a valuable asset in this fight...and he'll want to be a part of it."

Mizuki's jaw was taut, forcing herself to forget the truth and continue to leave Zero behind. The last thing she wanted was to have him involved in the crossfire, to put him in harm's way.

She felt Kaname's presence beside her, but her eyes remained forward. "I'll have to do whatever it takes," she protested with fear in her voice. "We can't use him like this, Kaname...I won't stand for it."

He caught a small glimpse of her face just before she trudged forward, keeping her head down in shame. As he watched her disappear across the grounds, Kaname began to regret insisting Kiryu's part in the fight if it meant causing Mizuki unbearable fear and pain.

_'Those tears...were my fault.'_

In the dead silence, Kaname was left alone in the dark corridor_, _contemplating if his choices were the right ones. They had to help everybody, not just himself.

He had to think of Yuki's wishes as well. After all, she had the biggest role in all this mess.

Her blood was the same as his, lost for more than ten years. If Rido got his hand on her, the future of the Kuran line would be forever corrupt...

And Kaname would lose even more family.

* * *

She ran all the way to the back of the academy, with the school's miniature forest before her. Although the sprint shouldn't have taken a toll on her body, her breaths were increasingly ragged, and the salty water began to spill form her eyes. Mizuki's hand suddenly clutched onto her chest, resisting the sobs that were trying to relentlessly choke her.

As her defensive and stoic front crumbled away, the fear that she pushed far into her mind finally resurfaced, and it was impossible to fight back.

_'It's kill of be killed for him now,'_ she thought, disgusted at her inability to stop Zero from realizing the truth. But how can she keep him back while he continues on insisting to be part of it all, endangering his very own life?

_'That's a hunter for you - stubborn till the very end.'_

And then it occurred to her. Maybe he wasn't completely doing it for the suspicion of vampires involved in Yuki's state. He had known Yuki for many years, the one who cared for him in the darkest period of his life and even beyond. She was there when his own mother wasn't, and Mizuki knew just from his eyes that Zero would do anything for her.

_'Zero...'_ She raised her hand close to her face, almost trying to cover her gaping mouth. _'To you...Yuki...'_

The faintest sound was caught by her ear, but it was enough to snap her out of her train of thought. On high alert, Mizuki's eyes scoured the trees, looking for the slightest movement of the branches, or a single leaf out of place.

She definitely knew she heard something, and it surely wasn't a squirrel. With one sweep across her face, the tears vanished and her eyebrows furrowed together_. _She suddenly started out in a casual pace, walking straight into trees as her hand reached behind her back and pulled out a small blade from a concealed sheath. As she held it backhand, Mizuki quickly disappeared in the shadows, concealing every part of her body from the moonlight.

With every step she took, Mizuki too the urge to pounce, awaiting to strike at the unwelcomed guest. Back then, she would usually look for their reason of snooping around, but in this dire time, she couldn't take the risk.

Backing up against a tree, she practically turned into a statue, absolutely still in the silence. She could feel the heat steaming from his body close by. He was pretty stealthy - definitely not a novice. His heart was racing, a clear sign that he knows of her presence.

Gripping her blade tightly, Mizuki turned in a flash and raised her knife high in the air...just before her eyes widened with disbelief.


	6. Sympathy

**Sympathy**

He finished tidying up the litter scattered on the floor, but there was nothing he could do about the torn wallpaper surrounding the both of them. It would be difficult to try and scrub the small bits of blood from the scratches running down the walls, especially when he was dangerously attracted to it.

As he shut the door after throwing the trash outside into the hallway, Zero's eyes were only taking a small glance toward Yuki…until he remembered.

'_She's a vampire…a pureblood.'_

Just thinking about it made his hand twitch for his gun. The unbearable blend of emotions inside…he couldn't take it anymore. All along, he had been in the presence of a pureblood vampire, unaware of the potential danger she could have wrought. Drinking her blood all this time, he should have noticed _**something**_ peculiar.

Clenching his teeth, Zero trudged to the window before leaning against the frame with his palms. A growl escaped his lips to vent out the crazy frustration that refused to dissipate.

'_Of all things…she had to be a pureblood!'_

He was about to turn around and head out the door when a swift figure sped through his line of sight, and he froze in place. Down below, Mizuki silently made her way into the small forest next to Yuki's window, deadly determination brimming in her eyes. She had a combat knife in a backhand grip as she disappeared into the trees…

And all fell silent.

Up above, Zero waited for the sound of a struggle, a scream…anything that could alert him to what she was up to. He could jump down in an instant and come to her aid, be by her side like years ago and work as a team…

But Mizuki's words reminded him it wasn't his place to get involved. The memory itself made him feel a pang in his chest.

"We fought together not too long ago," he said aloud, trying to make sense in his head. "Does she really see me as insignificant…Yuki?"

The silence got to him, and he looked back to see the slumbering girl on the bed, her eyebrows still furrowed with distress. Yuki remained that way, leaving Zero to find another way to retrieve his answer. As her current state worried him even more, he found no one else to help him calm down. No one could help guide him on this dangerous path now open to him, although he knows that path could save Yuki.

Zero's eyes returned to the trees, agitation exponentially rising as the silence dragged on.

'…_Dammit.'_

Without a word, he made his way out of the room, softly closing the door before hurrying down the hall.

* * *

Her eyebrows were high in disbelief before furrowing in anger.

"YOU!"

In the blink of an eye, she threw her knife into the ground and shot a hand to his neck, slamming his backside vigorously into the tree she concealed herself behind. His blue eyes glistened in the ray of moonlight, and his face showed obvious discomfort in his position. The impact made him lose his grip on the mace, and it fell close to her feet with a thud.

"Wait! Wait!" Hayato pled, choking under her grasp. "Listen!"

"Why?" Mizuki growled. "Why should I listen to more of your lies?"

He struggled to rip her arm away, but his strength was dwindling along with his breath. "I didn't…lie…!"

As she saw the color on his face change, she had to resist the temptation of ending his life; information wasn't easy to pry from a corpse. With an agitated growl, she forcefully shoved him to the ground, releasing her grasp on his fragile neck, and turned to take deep breaths.

Hayato rubbed his neck gently as he tried to revert his breathing back to normal. "They're my superiors! We work together, think together…it was too easy to figure out my plans."

Trying to put the pieces in place, Mizuki turned back to him and glared. "They thought you were leading us into their trap?" Her voice sounded as if his excuse was too pathetic to believe.

He slowly nodded. "Before I left to go after you, we planned the ambush somewhere else. But all of us – every one of us – knew to discreetly change it, for the sake of secrecy. They followed me…thinking I was still part of the plan."

She refused to buy his story. Before she and Kaname returned to town, they promised never to become distracted: consider everyone an enemy, and never turn your back on them.

"Better be telling the truth, boy, or else you will have to pay the price dearly," she cursed.

Hayato took her warning to heart as he bent down to pick up his mace. "What's the update for now? Has this Rido guy attacked yet?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head as she looked out toward the trees. "Which means his intrusion will be more synchronized with the hunters'…and we can't fight both fronts with the shortage that we have." Just the thought of it debilitated her. As the time drew closer, she could already see the foreboding outcome with lives most dear to her lost. Without warning, hideous images of their deaths flashed through her mind: Kaname, Yuki, the headmaster, Zero… She released the smallest shiver.

As he hung his mace in its sheath slinging beside him, he still had difficulty grasping one single concept. It made no sense…for he was still blind to the menacing truth.

"…You and your cousin are powerful purebloods – the Kurans," he reiterated.

Mizuki shot daggers over her shoulder. "Your point being…?"

"You have greater numbers against him. Can't you just…kill him yourselves? I know he's pureblood and all, but it's not impossible to kill a pureblood."

Her hands tightly clenched into fists as the answer ran through her head, haunting her every time it came up. It was the reason why she was so compelled to stop Rido, no matter what…

"…He's our uncle," she growled through her teeth. "…It's complicated to fight one who has the same blood as us."

Nothing else was said. Neither of them spoke. But Mizuki could still hear the astonishment in his thoughts.

'_We're fighting…her family? SHE'S fighting her family?'_

As he soon grasped the idea, she turned back around and watched him with piercing eyes, waiting for whatever happened next.

Her back stiffened.

* * *

Zero's steps were always swift and silent. As he traveled down the long exterior hall, his right hand was steady on the Bloody Rose, eager to draw it.

He still didn't understand his motives. Was he really going to help Mizuki after finding that she wants to change Yuki? Just about an hour ago, he felt the painful urge to actually put a bullet through Mizuki's head, to somehow help him believe it was all a dream, or to let her confess all of it as a sick joke.

But Zero knew that look in her eyes when she told the truth; it was undeniable.

'_No,' _he tried to pathetically convince himself. _'It's just—'_

Faint murmurs in the wind were caught by his ears, instantly drawing his attention. Furrowing his brows, he rushed into the trees and concealed himself behind a tree trunk, ever so slowly peeking around it.

"…It's not impossible to kill a pureblood…"

"…has the same blood as us…"

He caught sight of Mizuki's backside, and a stranger with white and blue hair…only, he wasn't so much of a stranger as Zero thought.

'_That boy…I've seen him before…'_

Suddenly, Mizuki's back stiffened, and Zero definitely took notice.

"Kiramori," she said in a flat dead tone. "You should get out of here."

The hunter got to his feet. "Why? In case you forgot, the hunters are out for _our_ heads, not just yours. I can't just waltz out of here."

She turned her head to the side, enough for Zero to see the grimace pulling her lips downward. It wasn't long when it dawned on him – she was aware of his presence and wanted to send Kiramori away…to keep Zero in the dark even more.

Feeling his face boiling with rage, he couldn't stop his feet from pulling him out of his cache. Hayato looked at him with surprise while Mizuki only held up her expression, fruitlessly hoping it would discourage Zero from intervening.

"You're Zero Kiryu," Hayato whispered, breaking the heavy silence.

Zero just nodded. He was aware of his special class and status among the hunters, but didn't wish to indulge in any kind of social benefits, including respect and praise. "How long have you been here?" he asked the hunter.

Hayato straightened himself and looked away from Zero's eyes out of deference, answering in a firm tone. "Only about half an hour, sir. I was just trying to lose—"

"Hayato!"

Both men turned to Mizuki, the source of the sudden rage spewing around them. Her mad glare was directed at nothing in particular, but it made them glad it wasn't clearly directed at anyone.

"No more," she growled. "Just go. Take the east side of the school and alert me if anything comes up."

They looked at her quizzically before Hayato asked: "How?"

Mizuki simply tapped the temple of her head, and he easily got the message with a nod.

"All right."

He quickly glanced at Zero and dipped his head before turning toward the direction Mizuki instructed. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes locked with hers…and an aura of concern floated between them. She caught on quick before shooting an assuring look at Hayato.

"Go ahead…I'll be fine."

Once he disappeared into the shadows, Mizuki was on the move, leaving Zero confused at her actions once again. She turned toward the end of the girls' dorm before marching at a quick pace, distinctively avoiding his gaze.

"Mizuki."

His solid tone didn't deter her, not even breaking her pace. Out of frustration, Zero raced to lay a hand on shoulder, gripping it to stop her in her tracks. As she wheeled around, Mizuki shot the icy stare from earlier, but no part of it phased him.

"Did you enjoy making me feel out of place?" he asked acidly. "Making me feel useless?"

Her mouth twisted into a menacing grimace. "Don't feel ashamed of the truth. What could you possibly do to make this any better? To give any kind of help to Yuki?"

"Something…anything! I know you need me for _something_! Just let me help."

"We're at _war_, Zero! Picking at random straws like finding something for you to do is ridiculous. I can't just have you standing defenseless in the battlefield."

Zero scoffed at her ignorance. "Maybe you forgot the part where I'm a hunter. Lest you forget, we both trained under Master Yagari."

"You haven't faced monsters like these," she shot back. "They'll chew you up in less than a minute. You're nothing but fodder."

His lavender eyes revealed his mind drowning in anguish. He can't save Yuki's humanity, and he can't even stop the force threatening to kill her. What's more, Mizuki doesn't even have a second thought of giving him a chance to help.

But he just_ has_ to be there...to face _her..._

"Shizuka...Hio..."

His voice had a dark, menacing tone, but just hearing the name from Zero was enough to surprise Mizuki. As her glare evaporated, she took a step closer, watching his eyes starting to glow with a crimson tint.

"Zero?" she asked warily. "You know Shizuka, the pureblood...?"

The sarcastic smirk on his face made her reel back and worry exactly how much Shizuka was involved with Zero. As she thought about it, Mizuki never truly knew the reason behind his deep chagrin for her kind, too deep for any regular hunter. She could feel a chilling sensation emanating from him, even as he turned around to look up at the moon through the swaying trees.

"It was six years ago," he spoke in a dead and flat tone. "My parents had just finished hunting a vampire that had been listed for quite some time. The Society thought he had already fallen to Level E, but he hadn't lost his sanity just yet.

"He was a manservant for Shizuka, and she was fond of him. So when she realized he was hunted down...she killed my parents out of vengeance, spilled their blood throughout our home...and took my brother."

The last part came out with difficulty, and Mizuki could see his fist uncontrollably tremble at his side. The birth of his abhorrence became clear; a twinge of self-loathing came through her, reminding herself of the havoc purebloods can cause.

Mizuki couldn't just ignore his motives, his desperation to face the monster that ruined his life. She had been the same just two years ago: cursing Kaname and the Kuran name that kept her from any kind of normal life that was opportune for her.

"Zero...was she the one who bit you?"

It took a moment for him to raise a hand to the tattoo on his neck. His heartbeat began to race through her ears, and she heard enough from his mind to figure out everything. The tattoo was meant to suppress the vampire within him, but it was already unleashed two years ago before Mizuki came to the school.

"I see," she said reluctantly. "I'm sorry."

After a minute, his resolve finally became reaffirmed as he turned back to face her. "You can treat me like dirt all you want, Mizuki. I won't get in your way of fighting Rido...but Shizuka is mine to take care of."

"What...She's coming as well...?" Her voice faded out in disbelief. As if they had enough to worry about with Rido, but now they had to watch out for _two_ purebloods? "For Yuki..."

"Yeah," Zero confirmed blatantly. "You ready face two purebloods?"

Mizuki had to admit: the odds weren't in her favor. She had some advantage with Rido by knowing the extent of his powers, but Shizuka was a complete stranger to her. The Society only rarely spoke about her in Mizuki's presence, even Yagari.

Normally, humans turned by purebloods can never turn on their masters, succumbing to their every command...But it was easy to see how strong Zero's will was. It was difficult to break, and Mizuki knew that for far too long. _'He **can** be strong enough,'_ she thought. _'Strong enough to resist her.'_

All was silent. Zero anxiously watched her as he waited for an answer. If she would just let him in on all of this, he would be one step closer to Shizuka - the best chance he's had in six years. It was too good of an opportunity to slip away, but Mizuki proved herself to be an obstacle. It wasn't because she could easily make him kneel down with just a thought, but because of the tie they shared. He knew that somewhere inside her, she couldn't have unconditionally thrown away their partnership_. _Keeping him in the dark wasn't going to help in the long run.

"...No," she said simply.

He had to blink to make sure he wasn't imagining things, but he truly saw the honesty in her eyes as she spoke. Her face softened, no longer hardened into a grimace or glare.

"Kaname and I will have our hands full with Rido," she continued. "If Shizuka's coming, that's a whole different story. Of course, you won't be able to face her alone...but three against two are still good odds."

As her words settled in his mind, Zero couldn't help but release a small chuckle of relief. He had been debating with himself if he really should have gone through all this alone, keeping his past bottled up from the rest of the world...but instead, it acted as a patch.

"Thanks."

Mizuki's face slightly hardened as she noticed the walls slowly coming down. "Just make sure you're up to snuff when the time comes," she lightly sneered before turning to the west end of the campus, opposite from Hayato's position.

As she walked, she noticed the burden on her chest feeling lighter than usual. Among the panic and chaos she and Kaname have been facing all this time, it soothed her heart to know she got over the hurdle with Zero for the time being...

But there was still so much more he did not know.


	7. NOTICE

If anyone's even still reading this story, you could very well assume that it's now become a dud. The glamour of anime and manga has vanished within me, meaning I don't have the mindset to even finish _Like Father, Like Daughter_. _Haven of Souls_ will probably be my last anime/manga fic, regardless of how crappy it is.

In the past, I've been deleting my discontinued fics, but this time around, I feel like simply leaving them up on the site to remind me of my past failures and to motivate me into writing better. I really loved writing _Family Love_ all those years ago, and if you haven't read it yet, I hope you find the time to go and read it.


End file.
